People's Daily - January 20, 2026

China's economic aggregate leaps to a new level of 140 trillion yuan

Beijing, January 19th (Reporter Liu Zhiqiang (刘志强) and Wang Yunshan (王云杉)) Forge ahead and reach new heights! On January 19th, the National Bureau of Statistics released the 2025 report card for China's economy. The data is encouraging: Preliminary calculations show that the 2025 gross domestic product (GDP) was 140,187.9 billion yuan, reaching a new level of 140 trillion yuan. Calculated at constant prices, it increased by 5.0% over the previous year, and the per capita GDP exceeded 13,000 US dollars for three consecutive years. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's total economic output successively exceeded 110 trillion yuan, 120 trillion yuan, 130 trillion yuan, and 140 trillion yuan, achieving a "four-level jump," and continued to lead major global economies with an average annual growth of 5.4%.

"This is a remarkable achievement, fully demonstrating the steady progress of China's economy, its resilience in overcoming pressure, and its vitality in moving towards new and better directions," said Kang Yi (康义), Director of the National Bureau of Statistics.

Looking at the year 2025, China's economy has moved forward under pressure and developed towards new and better directions, and the main expected goals have been successfully achieved.

The pattern of "stability" has been consolidated. The total economic output has steadily increased, the employment situation is generally stable, and the foreign exchange reserve balance exceeds 3.3 trillion US dollars.

The pace of "progress" is even stronger. The economic structure has been adjusted and optimized. The added value of high-tech manufacturing above a designated size accounted for 17.1% of the added value of industries above a designated size, and the contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth exceeded 50%. Reform and opening up have continued to deepen, and the total value of imports and exports of goods has increased by 3.8% over the previous year. People's livelihood has been effectively guaranteed, and the actual per capita disposable income of residents has increased by 5.0%.

The "new" driving force has been cultivated and strengthened. The investment intensity of R&D expenditure in the whole society reached 2.8%, and the added value of the digital product manufacturing industry above a designated size increased by 9.3% over the previous year.

The characteristic of "resilience" is becoming more prominent. High-tech and high value-added products have become the main force for export growth, and the export value of high-tech products has increased by 13.2% over the previous year.

Looking at the five years of the "14th Five-Year Plan," China's economy has effectively responded to a series of major risks and challenges, climbing slopes and overcoming obstacles all the way, growing and strengthening.

The economic foundation is more solid, and the ability to resist risks is stronger. Grain output has remained stable at the 1.4 trillion jin level for two consecutive years, and the added value of the manufacturing industry has remained the world's first for 16 consecutive years.

The quality of high-quality development is more sufficient and the pace is more stable. New breakthroughs have been made in innovative development. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the average annual growth of R&D expenditure in the whole society was 10%, and the average annual growth of the added value of high-tech manufacturing above a designated size was 9.2%. The green transformation has shown a new look, and the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption has increased from 16% in 2020 to more than 20% in 2025. New achievements have been made in improving people's livelihood. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the average annual actual growth of per capita disposable income of residents was 5.4%, which was synchronized with economic growth.

"During the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, China's development environment will face profound and complex changes, but the basic trend of long-term economic improvement has not changed. The strengthening of innovation-driven momentum and the in-depth advancement of reform and opening up will support new achievements in high-quality development," said Kang Yi (康义).

(Related reports on pages 2 and 8)

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Sensing China's Economic Potential (Today's Talk)

By: 楠 溪

In 2025, China's economy delivered a brilliant report card, with foreign media praising "China's extraordinary resilience." Many people are curious as to why this developing country, having experienced so much turmoil in the past five years, can still reliably serve as the most dependable source of global economic growth.

The underlying power comes from innovation. Facing containment and suppression, China's innovation index ranking entered the top ten globally for the first time. In-depth exploration of the globe is sweeping the screen, with "Zu Chongzhi No. 3 (祖冲之三号)" leading the world, and embodied intelligent robots entering the market immediately after leaving the competition... The deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation is expanding the infinite space for high-quality development.

The underlying power comes from execution. Adhering unwaveringly to the primary task of high-quality development, the "two trọng (两重)" construction promotes industrial upgrading, and the "two new (两新)" policies drive green consumption... "Once you've identified it, seize it and do it quickly," developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, endowing high-quality development with profound confidence.

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, strategic opportunities and risks and challenges coexist. "All levels and departments must have a sense of the overall situation and execution," implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee (党中央) in place. China's economy will stabilize its development foundation, continue to move towards new and better, and seize the initiative and win the future in fierce international competition. 看准了就抓紧干 (kàn zhǔn le jiù zhuā jǐn gàn - "once you see it, seize it and do it quickly," emphasizing decisive action and efficient implementation).

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With One Heart and Mind, Continuing the Struggle (Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee)

By: 本报记者 何昭宇

All great achievements are the result of continuous struggle, and all great undertakings need to be advanced through building on past successes.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal deliberated and approved by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is another general mobilization and deployment to take advantage of the momentum and continue to promote the construction of Chinese-style modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "The 'Proposal' adopted by the Plenary Session is based on consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts, and deploys strategic tasks concerning the overall situation of Chinese-style modernization during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period. It is a programmatic document guiding economic and social development during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period. Studying and implementing the spirit of the Plenary Session is a major political task for the entire Party and the entire country in the current and future period."

For some time, all regions, departments, and units have quickly launched a wave of studying and implementing the spirit of the Plenary Session. The vast number of Party members and cadres have deeply studied and thoroughly understood, earnestly practiced and worked hard, maintained strategic focus, enhanced confidence in victory, and gathered the mighty force to promote Chinese-style modernization.

Consolidating Consensus, Maintaining Confidence in Victory

Surrounded by green mountains and with green bricks and black tiles, in November 2025, in Waitongwu Village (外桐坞村), Zhuantang Street (转塘街道), Xihu District (西湖区), Hangzhou City (杭州市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), members of the Central Propaganda Department (中央宣讲团) for studying and implementing the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee sat down with villagers and grassroots cadres to talk freely and discuss development.

"The publicity has given me a deeper understanding of the spirit of the Plenary Session." Yan Chao (严超), Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Zhuantang Street, has densely filled his notebook with notes. "We must firmly establish and practice the concept that green mountains and clear waters are golden mountains and silver mountains, and solidly promote the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside."

Yan Chao was deeply touched by the "consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts" in the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal: "Promoting integrated urban-rural development and coordinated regional development is to consolidate the foundation. We must base ourselves on the local tea gardens, and on the basis of doing a good job in ecological management and quality traceability, further increase investment in science and technology to better enrich the people and revitalize the village."

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, China's development is in a period where strategic opportunities and risks and challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. This is the Party Central Committee's basic judgment on the domestic and international situation.

In Kunshan Logistics Center (昆山物流中心) of the Yangtze River Delta International Airport (长三角国际空港) in Suzhou City (苏州市), Jiangsu Province (江苏省), batches of goods are completing ground operations on automated assembly lines and being shipped to Europe via Shanghai (上海).

With the external environment complex and volatile, how can we stabilize foreign trade?

"Studying and understanding the spirit of the Plenary Session has made me deeply realize the importance of 'concentrating our efforts on doing our own things well' and deeply realize that core competitiveness comes from the optimization and resilience of the internal system." Qin Weixi (秦微晰), Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Demonstration Zone (昆山经济技术开发示范区), said, "If logistics efficiency is improved and operating costs are reduced, foreign trade enterprises will be more competitive internationally."

Confidence is even more precious in overcoming difficulties. At the construction site of the Pazhi Water Conservancy Project (帕孜水利枢纽工程) in Tibet (西藏), at an altitude of more than 4,300 meters, various construction machines are roaring, and construction workers are full of energy. This major national water conservancy project located in Angren County (昂仁县), Rikaze City (日喀则市), is related to the stable water use for irrigation in the downstream irrigation area and for the production and life of urban and rural residents.

Li Jun (李骏), Secretary of the Joint Party Branch of the Pazhi Water Conservancy Project of Rikaze Everest City Investment Group (日喀则珠峰城投集团), said: "Studying the spirit of the Plenary Session makes us feel even more responsible. All Party members will charge ahead, ensure quality with scientific construction, and seize progress with tenacious struggle to ensure the project is completed on schedule."

To govern the country, we must first govern the Party, and only when the Party is prosperous can the country be strong. The more complex and volatile the situation and the more arduous and heavy the tasks, the more important it is to adhere to, use well, and develop the Party's leadership, which is the greatest advantage.

In order to promote the relocation and resettlement work, the Party Working Committee of Yingbin Road Street (迎宾路街道), Yuhong District (于洪区), Shenyang City (沈阳市), Liaoning Province (辽宁省), built a Party building joint meeting platform, where relevant functional departments worked on-site, and development enterprises communicated face-to-face with resident representatives. In just over two months, the problems were solved one by one, and the residents were successfully relocated.

"Party building leadership gathers synergy, solves problems, and warms people's hearts. As long as we always think and work together with the masses, there will be solutions to even the most difficult things, and life will definitely get better and better." Chen Yonghong (陈湧浤), Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Yingbin Road Street, said after deeply studying and understanding the spirit of the Plenary Session.

Drawing Wisdom, Mastering Ideological Methods

In November 2025, during his first domestic inspection after the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping set off southward and went deep into Hainan (海南) and Guangdong (广东) provinces. When listening to the report on the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自由贸易港), he emphasized: "Our feet must be on the ground. There are inherent laws in everything we do."

Everything must have a method before it can be accomplished. The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal contains ideological and working methods for starting a business. The scientific formulation and continuous implementation of the Five-Year Plan demonstrates strategic thinking with a long-term vision and overall planning.

"In starting a business, vision determines the realm." After listening to the publicity of the spirit of the Plenary Session, Ma Yangbiao (马扬飚), Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Xiong'an New Area Science Park (雄安新区科学园), had a deeper and more comprehensive understanding. "Our policies and measures must be realistic and effective, and truly build Xiong'an New Area into an important source of independent innovation and original innovation."

Xiong'an New Area Science Park has planned and laid out in advance a "one park with multiple bases" integrating scientific and technological innovation, industrial incubation, pilot-scale production, and talent training to empower the park's efficient operation. Today, on the public experimental platform, satellite navigation technology equipment is running stably in specific environments; in the pilot-scale workshop, top talent teams are debugging the world's leading 3D printing equipment... Various innovative elements from Beijing (北京), Tianjin (天津), and Hebei (河北) are constantly gathering here.

Systematic thinking is a fundamental ideological and working method. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out profoundly: "All regions and departments must adhere to systematic thinking, consciously act under the overall situation, and play a good game of chess for the whole country."

At the junction of Guang'an City (广安市), Sichuan Province (四川省), and Chongqing Municipality (重庆市), Sichuan-Chongqing vehicles come and go, and new factories are emerging one after another, and the Sichuan-Chongqing High-tech New Area (川渝高竹新区) is interpreting the story of regional linkage development.

For the country's first new area jointly built across provincial boundaries, exploring the reform of appropriately separating the economic zone from the administrative region is a major mission. Zhao Dong (赵冬), Executive Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Sichuan-Chongqing High-tech New Area, said: "We adhere to systematic thinking, strengthen collaborative efforts, issue an action plan for the construction of regional market integration, promote 'different places with the same standards' for market access, open up service channels in areas such as tax collection and management, medical insurance, and social security, and accelerate integration into and service to the construction of a unified national market. This is not only the integration of geographical space, but also the deep synergy of systems, mechanisms, policy services, and market elements."

To study and implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, it is important to deeply understand Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, get the ideological methods right, and learn the skills of the trade.

In Foshan City (佛山市), Guangdong Province, how does a city famous for its traditional manufacturing industry move towards the new? The answer lies in adapting to local conditions.

The traditional ceramic manufacturing industry is energy-intensive and highly polluting. However, walking into the digital demonstration workshop of Foshan Mona Lisa Group (佛山蒙娜丽莎集团), it is spacious, bright, clean, and tidy, and the ceramic industrial ammonia-hydrogen zero-carbon combustion technology demonstration production line is operating efficiently. This technology, developed and implemented by the enterprise in conjunction with Foshan Xianhu Laboratory (佛山仙湖实验室) and others, reduces carbon emissions by about 5,200 tons per year for ceramic production lines.

"Developing new quality productive forces is not simply abandoning the old and pursuing the new. Promoting the high-end, intelligent, and green transformation of traditional industries is itself an important path to developing new quality productive forces." Wang Yong (王勇), Secretary of the Nanhai District Committee (南海区委) of Foshan City, said, "We must seek truth from facts, rely on existing advantages, and empower industrial upgrading through technological innovation to build a solid foundation for the construction of a modern industrial system."

Promoting Work Through Learning, Stimulating the Power of Endeavor

On the first working day after the New Year's Day holiday, many places held the "First Meeting of the New Year," focusing on topics such as optimizing the business environment, empowering technological innovation, and promoting high-level opening up to the outside world. The vast number of Party members and cadres are energetic, positive, and enterprising, and are full of energy for starting a business.

Significant achievements have been made in high-quality development, the level of self-reliance in science and technology has been greatly improved, and new breakthroughs have been made in further comprehensively deepening reform... The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal clearly puts forward a series of goals and tasks, which are inspiring.

In the Haihe Laboratory for Material Green Creation and Manufacturing (物质绿色创造与制造海河实验室) in Tianjin (天津), sensor indicator lights are constantly flashing, and researchers are concentrating on debugging and installing large-capacity aqueous zinc ion battery assembly equipment.

"Currently, the global energy transition is accelerating, and independent innovation is the key to seizing the future track and shaping international competitiveness." Niu Zhiqiang (牛志强), Deputy Director of the Development Office of the Haihe Laboratory for Material Green Creation and Manufacturing, said, "We will further strengthen scientific research, accelerate the transformation of results, promote the large-scale application of technology, and let innovative achievements go from the laboratory to the production line."

Adhering to open cooperation and mutual benefit and win-win is the inevitable requirement of Chinese-style modernization.

On December 18, 2025, the Hainan Free Trade Port officially launched the full island customs closure operation. The opening dividend of expanding the scope of "zero tariff" commodities, the gathering advantages of innovation forces in seed industry, deep sea, and aerospace, and competitive talent introduction policies have made global business entities focus on this hot spot of opening up.

"The construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port provides a broad platform for deep-sea technology to go to the world." Shi Yanan (时亚南), Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Administration (崖州湾科技城管理局) in Sanya (三亚), said, "Relying on Nanshan Port (南山港), China's first public scientific research wharf, we will accelerate the construction of the Sanya Deep-Sea Scientific Research Wharf and the shore-based experimental support platform project to form a more open and shared marine science and technology platform and build a high ground for deep-sea innovation and opening up."

The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is the first five years after the transition period of consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively linking them with rural revitalization. After the transition period, how to promote normalized assistance?

In Wenming Yao Ethnic Township (文明瑶族乡), Rucheng County (汝城县), Chenzhou City (郴州市), Hunan Province (湖南省), at the construction site of the Shazhou Agricultural Products Cold Chain Storage and Logistics Trading Center (沙洲农产品冷链仓储物流交易中心), Yuan Huiqing (袁会卿), Secretary of the Township Party Committee, is leading the project office staff to investigate the installation progress of cold storage equipment. Standardized cold chain services will reduce the storage loss of agricultural products and help fruit farmers sell at staggered peaks to increase income. "We will further strengthen development-oriented assistance, enhance the economic vitality and development momentum of poverty-stricken areas by cultivating the deep processing industry of characteristic fruits, and firmly hold the bottom line of preventing large-scale return to poverty." Yuan Huiqing said.

Chinese-style modernization puts the people's livelihood first.

Some time ago, a food delivery rider in Weifang City (潍坊市), Shandong Province (山东省), was injured in a traffic accident while working. After learning about the situation, the Weifang Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau (潍坊市人力资源和社会保障局) immediately launched the occupational injury insurance program for new employment forms, completed the injury and rehabilitation confirmation on the same day, and clarified the relevant benefits.

"New employment forms such as online delivery personnel often have no way to seek help when they encounter occupational injuries because the labor relationship is difficult to determine." Mou Xiaoming (牟晓明), Deputy Section Chief of the Work Injury Insurance Section of the Weifang Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, said, "We must implement the spirit of the Plenary Session, base ourselves on local realities, and formulate policies and measures as soon as possible to expand the coverage of work injury insurance, launch online handling of occupational injuries and 'one-stop' window services, and weave a tight safety net for workers in new employment forms."

As the years change, what remains unchanged is the posture of strivers; as the new chapter unfolds, what remains clear is the pace of those moving forward.

The footsteps of those who bend down to observe the situation in the fields, the figures of those who brave the wind and snow at the construction site, and the efforts of those who work day and night in the laboratory... The vast number of Party members and cadres use their hard work and dedication to interpret the truth that "socialism is achieved through hard work, and the new era is achieved through struggle."

2026 is the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." With the courage to spur on the horse, stimulate the vitality of thousands of horses galloping, and maintain the momentum of never stopping, we will surely continue to create a new situation in the construction of Chinese-style modernization with one heart and continuous struggle.

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Soliciting Opinions and Suggestions on the Government Work Report and the "15th Five-Year Plan" Outline

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 19th (北京) – Li Qiang (李强), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央政治局常委) and Premier of the State Council (国务院总理), presided over a symposium with experts, entrepreneurs, and representatives from the fields of science, education, culture, health, and sports on the afternoon of January 19th to listen to opinions and suggestions on the two drafts for soliciting opinions: the "Government Work Report" (《政府工作报告》) and the "15th Five-Year Plan Outline (Draft)" (《“十五五”规划纲要（草案）》).

At the symposium, Ming Ming (明明), He Jia (贺佳), Yan Junjie (闫俊杰), Zhang Zhigang (张智刚), Gong Qihuang (龚旗煌), Yu Xiaohui (余晓晖), Wang Yongjun (王拥军), Zhou Liya (周莉亚), Shi Yuqi (石宇奇), and others spoke successively. Everyone believed that last year was a very extraordinary year. Facing a complex and severe external situation, our country increased the intensity of counter-cyclical adjustments, introduced many pragmatic measures in stabilizing growth, adjusting the structure, and benefiting people's livelihoods, and the positive factors in development continued to accumulate, the flow of factors continued to be active, market confidence was significantly enhanced, and the achievements made were truly hard-won. Everyone also put forward opinions and suggestions on doing a good job in economic and social development this year and during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, combined with their respective fields.

After listening carefully to everyone's speeches, Li Qiang (李强) pointed out that in the past year, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee (党中央) with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) as the core, we implemented more proactive and effective macro policies, calmly responded to external shocks, and China's economy moved forward against pressure and developed towards new and better directions. Emerging industries accelerated their cultivation and growth, market demand continued to expand in scale and improve in quality, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality. This year is the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," and the external situation is still complex and volatile, with increasing uncertain and unpredictable factors, and there are still many old problems and new challenges in economic development. However, it should be noted that the supporting conditions and basic trends for China's long-term economic improvement have not changed, and the prospects for high-quality development are broad. As long as we strengthen our confidence, face problems directly, and concentrate our efforts on managing our own affairs well, we will surely be able to continuously consolidate and expand the momentum of steady economic improvement and firmly grasp the initiative in development.

Li Qiang (李强) emphasized that it is necessary to thoroughly implement the deployment requirements of the Central "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal and the Central Economic Work Conference (中央经济工作会议), and respond to the uncertainty of the development environment with the certainty of high-quality development. It is necessary to highlight the goal-oriented leadership of high-quality development, implement more proactive fiscal policies and moderately relaxed monetary policies, pay attention to the combined efforts of various policies, strengthen the coordination between reform measures and macro policies, and achieve greater breakthroughs in the effective improvement of quality. It is necessary to broaden the path to achieve high-quality development, strengthen innovation-driven development, deepen reform and opening up, place the strategic focus of development on expanding domestic demand, and continuously enhance the endogenous动力 (dònglì - "driving force," internal impetus/motivation). It is necessary to effectively guarantee and improve people's livelihoods in promoting high-quality development, adhere to the close combination of benefiting people's livelihoods and promoting consumption, investing in things and investing in people, cultivate new economic growth points, and continuously enhance people's well-being.

Li Qiang (李强) hopes that everyone will give play to their respective advantages, show greater responsibility, actively reflect the actual situation in economic and social development, put forward opinions and suggestions, and make more contributions to promoting high-quality development.

Wu Zhenglong (吴政隆) attended the symposium.

The two drafts for soliciting opinions, the "Government Work Report" (《政府工作报告》) and the "15th Five-Year Plan Outline (Draft)" (《“十五五”规划纲要（草案）》), have been simultaneously solicited for opinions from various regions and departments.

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Zhao Leji Holds Talks with Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sadiq

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 19th (Xinhua) -- Zhao Leji (赵乐际), Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, held talks with Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (萨迪克), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing (北京人民大会堂) on the afternoon of January 19th.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) stated that China and Pakistan are ironclad friends and all-weather strategic partners. Last year, President Xi Jinping (习近平) met with President Asif Ali Zardari (扎尔达里) and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (夏巴兹) respectively, providing new strategic guidance for the development of China-Pakistan relations. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and better benefit the people of both countries.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) pointed out that China highly appreciates Pakistan's long-term and firm support for China on issues involving China's core interests and major concerns. China will, as always, firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity, and support Pakistan in maintaining unity and stability and achieving development and prosperity. China is willing to strengthen the alignment of the "15th Five-Year Plan" with the "Take-off Pakistan" plan, and work with Pakistan to jointly promote the "2.0 upgraded version" of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (中巴经济走廊) construction, and create more achievements in key areas such as industry, agriculture, mining, transportation, and people's livelihood. China supports Pakistan's firm fight against terrorism. The two sides should jointly organize activities to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, youth, media, and other fields. China appreciates Pakistan's leading support for the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平), and is willing to work together to promote the implementation of the initiatives, jointly defend the Charter of the United Nations and international law, adhere to true multilateralism, and promote international fairness and justice.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) emphasized that the National People's Congress of China is willing to strengthen multi-level and multi-field exchanges and cooperation with the Parliament of Pakistan, deepen exchanges of experience in governance and administration, legislation, and supervision on topics such as rural revitalization and green development; promptly issue and approve legal documents conducive to cooperation between the two countries, and provide legal guarantees for the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (中巴经济走廊) and the "Belt and Road" initiative; strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, and safeguard the common interests of the two countries and developing countries. Zhao Leji (赵乐际) also introduced the relevant situation of the People's Congress system.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (萨迪克) said that the ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China has stood the test of time, and the relationship between the two countries is strategic. Pakistan firmly supports China's position on issues involving its core interests and major concerns such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Tibet. It is hoped that cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, investment, infrastructure construction, culture, and training between the two countries will be further strengthened. The National Assembly of Pakistan is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the National People's Congress of China and make contributions from the legislative body to promote Pakistan-China friendship.

Shohrat Zakir (雪克来提·扎克尔) participated in the meeting.

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Strategic planning for the "15th Five-Year Plan" from the perspective of the two overall situations.

By: 任 平

(I)
The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal outlines a blueprint for China's economic and social development in the next five years and provides the world with a "list of opportunities," President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out when addressing newly appointed ambassadors to China on the morning of January 16.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has always considered and planned the long-term development of the Party and the country from the depth of a grand historical perspective, the height of a grand strategy, and the changes in major trends, made innovative expositions on the two overall situations, and continuously enriched their connotations.

"Leading cadres must bear in mind the two overall situations, one is the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the other is the major changes unseen in a century in the world. This is the basic starting point for our planning work."

"We must firmly establish a grand historical perspective, grasp the development context and correct direction of world history with a broader vision and a longer-term perspective, recognize the grand logic and major trends of social development in our country and human society, and grasp the historical evolution and practical requirements of Chinese-style modernization."

Coordinating the two overall situations is an important embodiment of the position, viewpoint, and method that runs through Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and it is an important ideological and working method for us to start undertakings and develop our careers.

With the strategic thinking of coordinating the domestic and international overall situations, recognizing, analyzing, and judging the major historical issues facing us, and formulating and implementing correct political strategies and tactics, our Party has led the people to overcome countless risks and challenges and continuously move from victory to victory.

"Strengthen strategic planning for the medium and long term and firmly grasp the strategic initiative."

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal deploys strategic tasks related to the overall situation of Chinese-style modernization for the next five years, which is the top-level design and strategic plan made by the Party Central Committee to coordinate the two overall situations.

From the height of the two overall situations, observing the historical changes taking place in the relationship between China and the world, we have formed the following understanding:

The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is an important reason for the major changes unseen in a century in the world, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a key factor affecting the direction of the major changes in the world, and the Communist Party of China (中国共产党) is an important force in promoting the positive evolution and benign interaction of the two overall situations.

Thinking from these three dimensions is conducive to deeply understanding the strategic considerations of the Party Central Committee in planning the "15th Five-Year Plan."

(II)
From the perspective that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is an important reason for the major changes unseen in a century in the world, we can better grasp the historical confidence of the "15th Five-Year Plan" strategic plan.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) observation of problems and drawing conclusions from the two overall situations demonstrates strategic thinking and also reveals the process of changes in the relationship between China and the world—

Looking at the disasters suffered by the Chinese nation in modern times, "China gradually became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, the country was humiliated, the people suffered, and civilization was tarnished." "From then on, realizing national rejuvenation became the greatest dream of the Chinese nation."

Looking at historical laws, "After the Opium War, the Chinese nation also experienced major changes unseen in centuries. Since then, China's situation has deteriorated, and the Chinese nation has fallen into an abyss of near national subjugation! Now it is completely different. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has shown unprecedented bright prospects."

Looking at several major historical nodes since 1840:

The birth of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党), "This was a major event that opened up the world, profoundly changed the direction and process of the development of the Chinese nation in modern times, profoundly changed the future and destiny of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, and profoundly changed the trend and pattern of world development." "From then on, the Chinese people began to change from passive to active in spirit, and the Chinese nation began to move towards great rejuvenation with difficulty but irreversibly."

The founding of New China (新中国), "It marked that the Chinese people have stood up and opened a new era in the history of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." "It is not only a great event in the history of the development of the Chinese nation, but also a great event in the history of human development."

The implementation of reform and opening up, "**不仅深刻改变了中国，也深刻影响了世界**" (bù jǐn shēn kè gǎi biàn le zhōng guó, yě shēn kè yǐng xiǎng le shì jiè - "not only profoundly changed China, but also profoundly affected the world," highlights the transformative impact of China's reform and opening-up policy on both the nation and the global landscape). "It provided a system guarantee full of new vitality and material conditions for rapid development for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

The creation of a new era, "Our country is in the best period of development since modern times, and the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. The two are synchronized and intertwined, and interact with each other." "The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable."

History and reality show that the sharp contrast between "China's governance and Western chaos," especially since the new era, profoundly confirms that the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is also a process of evolution and interaction between the two overall situations.

In this process, we have embarked on a path of modernization that both develops ourselves and benefits the world; in this process, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has become the main influencing factor in the profound adjustment of the international balance of power.

Thinking from the perspective of the two overall situations, the Party Central Committee has made a basic judgment that "China's development is in a period where strategic opportunities and risks and challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing," and has put forward goals, tasks, and major measures based on this, which are strategic and forward-looking;

Observing from the trend of rejuvenation, clarifying that "promoting major breakthroughs in strategic tasks related to the overall situation of Chinese-style modernization" is scientific and targeted.

From this experience, grasping the economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period is of great significance and great responsibility for promoting Chinese-style modernization in stages and step by step, and realizing the grand goal of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. We also have more confidence and strength.

(III)
From the perspective that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a key factor affecting the direction of the major changes in the world, we can better grasp the world-oriented feelings of the "15th Five-Year Plan" strategic plan.

In the major changes unseen in a century in the world, China provides stability and certainty. President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "China's door to opening up will only open wider and wider, and it will inject more certainty and new impetus into the world through high-quality development to achieve common development and harmony."

In 2025, at a new juncture in historical evolution, the world will witness China's pattern and China's responsibility, and the world will understand why the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has profoundly affected the direction of the major changes in the world.

This is the "China moment" of global governance reform. President Xi Jinping (习近平) put forward global governance initiatives, advocating the five major concepts of sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, people-centeredness, and action-orientedness, which quickly received support from more than 150 countries and international organizations.

This is the strong voice of the era that justice will prevail, peace will prevail, and the people will prevail. We solemnly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, showing the world that China is a firm defender of the post-war international order and demonstrating our commitment to building a community with a shared future for mankind as a responsible major country.

This is the new opportunity that China's new development provides to the world. The number of participating companies and the intended transaction volume at the 8th China International Import Expo (进博会) reached new historical highs. The entire island of Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港) is operating under a customs closure system, aiming to become an "important gateway leading China's opening up to the outside world in the new era." New cooperation plans and action plans have been signed with many countries in South Asia, Latin America, and Central Asia, and non-financial direct investment in countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" has increased by more than 20% year-on-year.

…………

Although the changes in the world, the changes in the times, and the changes in history are unprecedented, the aspirations of the people and the general trend determine that the future of mankind will eventually be bright. At the crossroads of where to go, countries must make the right choices.

In line with the aspirations of the people and the general trend, China has created a better future together with other countries by building a community with a shared future for mankind, practicing the four major global initiatives, and jointly building the "Belt and Road," becoming a "force for peace, a force for stability, and a force for progress" in the major changes in the world.

"The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and will also make greater contributions to world peace and human progress."

As a result, we have a deeper understanding of the major proposition of "'two overall situations' accelerating evolution and deep interaction" put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), and a deeper understanding of why the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal is not only China's development blueprint but also the world's "opportunity list."

From expanding the scope and regions of unilateral opening up to promoting the balanced development of imports and exports, and then to reducing the negative list for foreign investment access, Chinese-style modernization does not pursue **独善其身** (dú shàn qí shēn - "cultivate oneself in seclusion," focusing solely on one's own well-being and neglecting others), but is committed to sharing opportunities and developing together with other countries.

(IV)
From the perspective that the Communist Party of China (中国共产党) is an important force in promoting the positive evolution and benign interaction of the two overall situations, we can better grasp the historical initiative of the "15th Five-Year Plan" strategic plan.

The development of human society has its irreversible general trend. Grasping the historical trend of each stage, seizing the opportunity of historical change, and acting in accordance with the trend and striving for progress can better move forward.

"Our Party has always analyzed and grasped the general trend of history with the basic principles of Marxism, correctly handled the relationship between China and the world, and is good at seizing and making good use of various historical opportunities." General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition reveals the key to the Party's always grasping the historical initiative.

The major changes unseen in a century in the world have brought opportunities and challenges to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (党的十八大) made a major deployment to implement the innovation-driven development strategy. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "This is a major strategic choice made by the Party Central Committee after comprehensively analyzing the domestic and international situation and based on the overall situation of national development."

Since 2023, the General Secretary has creatively put forward the theory of new quality productive forces and made major deployments.

Today, China's scientific and technological innovation has entered an "outbreak period," leading the development of new quality productive forces and reshaping the global scientific and technological landscape. British scholar Martin Jacques (马丁·雅克) said, "In the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, China is at the forefront."

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, placing the development of new quality productive forces in a more prominent strategic position in accordance with local conditions is a strategic move to grasp the initiative in future development.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal embodies the historical initiative of our Party to lead the people to continue writing new chapters of the two major miracles.

Actively recognizing changes, responding to changes, and seeking changes, seizing and making good use of opportunities, seeking rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable; seeking common ground for the turbulent world, building a community with a shared future for mankind has become a glorious banner leading the progress of the times... Our Party promotes the positive evolution and benign interaction of the two overall situations.

"**徙木立信** (xǐ mù lì xìn - "move wood establish trust," establishing credibility through a small act) to strictly govern the Party and administer the Party, and remove corruption and promote self-revolution" is the fundamental prerequisite for our Party to always grasp the historical initiative. From this, we can better understand why the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal proposes to unswervingly promote comprehensive and strict Party governance.

Take the right path in the world and do just things.

"Our country has many favorable factors for actively planning international space and shaping the external environment." "The advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, the advantages of a super-large-scale market, the advantages of a complete industrial system, and the advantages of abundant human resources are more prominent."

Bearing in mind the two overall situations, grasping the general trend, making good use of advantages, and overcoming difficulties, fighting risks, and meeting challenges with the spirit of historical initiative, we will not only lead the times but also win the future.

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Hard-Won Achievements Highlight Economic Resilience and Vitality (Authoritative Release)

By: 本报记者 刘志强 王云杉

A series of data points showcase the strong resilience and vitality of the Chinese economy. In 2025, the Chinese economy progressed against pressure, developing towards new and optimized directions. The main goals and tasks of economic and social development were successfully achieved, and the "14th Five-Year Plan" concluded successfully. On January 19th, at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (国务院新闻办), Kang Yi (康义), Director of the National Bureau of Statistics (国家统计局), introduced the performance of the national economy in 2025 and answered questions from reporters.

Quality Improvement of Supply

Becoming the first country in the world to have over 5 million valid domestic invention patents

"In 2025, China has made considerable new progress in innovation-driven development, industrial quality improvement, digital empowerment, and green transformation," Kang Yi (康义) introduced.

The hard power of science and technology continues to leap forward. Investment in research and experimental development across society reached 3.9262 trillion yuan, ranking second in the world. China became the first country in the world to have over 5 million valid domestic invention patents, and the number of PCT international patent applications has ranked first globally for six consecutive years.

The innovative power of industry is gathering momentum, with emerging fields such as high-end equipment, green energy, and intelligent manufacturing continuing to invest in expansion. The added value of equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing above designated size accounted for 36.8% and 17.1% of the added value of industries above designated size, respectively. The low-altitude economy "takes off," embodied intelligence "thinks and acts nimbly," and the output of civilian drones and industrial robots increased by 37.3% and 28% year-on-year, respectively.

Digital penetration is enhanced, and digital industries, digital consumption, and digital infrastructure are expanding across the board. The added value of digital product manufacturing above designated size increased by 9.3% year-on-year, and the added value of information transmission, software, and information technology services increased by 11.1%.

Green leadership is highlighted, and a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system is accelerating its construction. The power generation of clean energy sources such as hydropower, nuclear power, wind power, and solar energy from industries above designated size increased by 8.8%, and the proportion of non-fossil energy in total energy consumption increased by about 2 percentage points compared to 2024. The competitiveness of the new energy industry continues to improve, with annual production and sales of new energy vehicles exceeding 16 million units. The green transformation of traditional industries has achieved significant results, with the energy consumption per unit of added value of major energy-consuming industries such as building materials, steel, and non-ferrous metals above designated size significantly decreasing compared to 2024.

Industrial production grew rapidly. The added value of industry reached 41.7 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.8% year-on-year, with the growth rate accelerating by 0.3 percentage points compared to 2024, and the contribution rate to economic growth reaching 35%, an increase of 1.8 percentage points compared to 2024. The added value of manufacturing reached 34.7 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.1% compared to 2024, and the proportion of GDP remained stable at around 25%, with the scale of manufacturing expected to remain the largest in the world for 16 consecutive years.

Consumption Towards New

Total retail sales of consumer goods exceed 50 trillion yuan

In 2025, special actions to boost consumption were implemented effectively, the scale of the consumer market steadily expanded, the structure continued to optimize, and new consumption hotspots continued to emerge.

The role of consumption as a ballast stone is prominent. Total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 50 trillion yuan, an increase of 3.7% compared to 2024, ranking among the top in the global retail market; final consumption expenditure contributed 52% to economic growth, an increase of 5 percentage points compared to 2024, becoming the main driving force and stabilizing anchor of economic growth.

The vitality of service consumption is released, and residents' consumption is shifting from mainly commodity consumption to a dual emphasis on commodity and service consumption. In terms of enterprise sales, service retail sales increased by 5.5% year-on-year, 1.7 percentage points faster than commodity retail sales; in terms of residents' consumption, service consumption expenditure accounted for 46.1% of residents' per capita consumption expenditure. Retail sales of tourism consulting and leasing services, transportation services, and cultural and sports leisure services all maintained double-digit growth, and the total domestic film box office increased by over 20% year-on-year.

New types of consumption are booming, with e-commerce, live streaming, and online entertainment driving rapid growth in online consumption. Online retail sales increased by 8.6% year-on-year. Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence are driving the quality and expansion of information consumption. Retail sales of communication and information services increased by over 10% year-on-year. The silver economy, ice and snow economy, and first-release economy continue to heat up.

Commodity consumption continues to increase. Commodity retail sales increased by 3.8% year-on-year, with the growth rate accelerating by 0.6 percentage points compared to 2024. Basic living consumption such as grain, oil, and food grew rapidly, and upgraded commodity consumption such as sports and entertainment products and communication equipment showed good growth momentum.

Policy Effectiveness

The number of household cars owned per hundred households reaches 52.9

Macro policies are an important means to promote high-quality economic development. In 2025, various regions and departments accelerated the implementation of more proactive and effective macro policies, effectively implemented existing policies, stepped up the introduction of incremental policies, ensured the stable and positive operation of the economy, and provided solid support for completing the annual development goals and tasks.

Promote the stable operation of the economy. A number of measures were introduced to stabilize employment, stabilize the economy, and promote high-quality development, making coordinated use of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, special bonds of local governments, and central budgetary investment, stepping up the expansion of the "two new" policies, increasing the construction of "two major" projects, and leveraging the role of new policy-based financial instruments to effectively offset downward economic pressure. Retail sales of six types of goods related to trade-ins increased by 4.1% year-on-year, driving the growth of total retail sales of consumer goods by 0.6 percentage points; investment in equipment and tooling purchases increased by 11.8%, driving investment growth by 1.8 percentage points.

Promote structural optimization and upgrading. Consumer goods trade-in policies promote the entry of more high-quality durable consumer goods into residents' lives, with high-energy-efficiency appliances and smart homes being favored. In the renewal of digital products, mid-to-high-end models account for a larger proportion. As of the end of 2025, the number of household cars owned per hundred households in China reached 52.9, an increase of 1.7 compared to the end of 2024. Large-scale equipment renewal policies promote the acceleration of industrial upgrading. In 2025, the added value of equipment manufacturing above designated size increased by 9.2% year-on-year, accelerating by 1.5 percentage points compared to 2024.

The deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation injects a source of vitality into economic development. The added value of intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing and intelligent vehicle-mounted equipment manufacturing industries above designated size increased by 57% and 26.2% year-on-year, respectively, and the added value of integrated circuit manufacturing and optoelectronic device manufacturing industries increased by 26.7% and 18.8% year-on-year, respectively. More Chinese companies are emerging in new tracks such as artificial intelligence large models, quantum technology, and embodied intelligence.

Promote the improvement of economic circulation. Deeply promote the construction of a unified national market, optimize market competition order, and provide favorable conditions for the reasonable recovery of prices and the improvement of corporate profits. In December 2025, the core CPI increased by 1.2% year-on-year, and the year-on-year decline in industrial producer prices narrowed. From January to November 2025, the profits of manufacturing enterprises above designated size increased by 5.0%.

Trend Towards Optimization

Domestic artificial intelligence large models inject new impetus into economic development

2026 is the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." "Overall, opportunities outweigh challenges, and favorable conditions are stronger than unfavorable factors. This year's economic stability and improvement have conditions and support," Kang Yi (康义) analyzed from four aspects.

The foundation for development is solid. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national strength reached new levels. The economic increment in five years exceeded 36 trillion yuan, and the development foundation is more solid and the space is broader, laying a solid foundation for the "15th Five-Year Plan" and accumulating strength.

The development trend is good. Since September 2025, the year-on-year increase in core CPI has exceeded 1% for four consecutive months, the manufacturing purchasing manager index returned to the expansion range in December, and the flow of people, logistics, and information has maintained a rapid growth trend, promoting the continuous accumulation of positive factors for economic stability and improvement.

The momentum for development is gathering. The cultivation of new quality productive forces and the effect of reform dividends continue to emerge. While the growth rate of some traditional industries and fields has slowed down, new momentum has accumulated, which is conducive to offsetting downward pressure and enhancing upward momentum. Domestic artificial intelligence large models are developing rapidly, artificial intelligence technology is widely used, and the digital economy is leading the great strides in the development of new quality productive forces; deeply promoting the construction of a unified national market will further stimulate economic dynamism and vitality.

The support for development is strong. More proactive and effective macro policies will safeguard the stable operation of the economy. In 2026, all parties will focus on the implementation of key engineering projects to form a strong synergy to promote development.

"Recently, major international organizations have successively raised their expectations for China's economic growth, indicating that the international community is optimistic about China's economic development prospects," Kang Yi (康义) said. "We must strengthen our confidence, maintain our focus, build consensus, cultivate our internal strength, strengthen innovation-driven development, deepen reform and opening up, continue to strengthen the domestic cycle, promote the effective improvement of the quality and the reasonable growth of the quantity of the economy, and strive to achieve a good start to the '15th Five-Year Plan.'"

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China tours China, buys China, "One trip is never enough" (Striving for the "15th Five-Year Plan" - First-line observations)

By: 本报记者 田 泓

Cultivating international consumption center cities and expanding inbound consumption.

——Excerpt from the "15th Five-Year Plan" Recommendations

While it's quite chilly outdoors, the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant in Shanghai's Yu Garden Mall (上海豫园商城南翔馒头店) is bustling with activity. Before 11 a.m., the second-floor hall is already fully occupied.

Australian tourists Annie and Emma, along with an American couple they met on a cruise, came together and ordered the "Tea and Steamed Bun" set meal. The set meal includes four types of dim sum, such as the signature fresh pork steamed buns and spring rolls with shredded ingredients, as well as six classic Jiangnan (江南) cold and hot dishes, such as sweet osmanthus lotus root and Zhenjiang (镇江)肴肉.

Dipping in vinegar, "opening the window," sipping soup... Annie and her friends skillfully use chopsticks and enjoy the steamed buns. "Although this is our first time in China, we are regulars at Chinese restaurants," Annie told reporters. The tour guide on the cruise recommended this restaurant, and it was indeed worth the trip.

After a satisfying meal, Annie opened her phone and paid with the English version of Alipay. "This trip allowed me to appreciate China's long history and diverse scenery, and also experience the convenience brought by technology," Annie said. The consumption experience along the way was very smooth, and when encountering language barriers, opening translation software could also help communicate clearly.

Xia Huijuan (夏慧娟), Deputy General Manager of Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant, told reporters that in order to facilitate consumption for overseas tourists, the restaurant has provided basic foreign language training for its service staff, produced bilingual menus in Chinese and English, and also equipped itself with foreign card POS machines.

The implementation of the "buy and get tax refund immediately" policy for departure tax refunds has brought convenience to inbound tourists' consumption.

At the Xinguang Department Store (新世界新丸中心) on Nanjing East Road (南京东路), a New Zealand tourist selected a watch and, under the guidance of a salesperson, came to the centralized refund point, used the self-service tax refund machine, clicked on the English page on the screen, scanned information such as passport and shopping vouchers, and the tax refund application form was immediately generated, taking less than 5 minutes. "It's so convenient!" the tourist said in surprise.

Since June 2025, the centralized refund point located in the Bund Finance Center (外滩金融中心) has been put into operation, connecting a total of 11 main departure tax refund stores in Yu Garden Mall (豫园商城) and the Bund Finance Center, forming a diversified consumption scenario of "classic Chinese trends + international fashion." Overseas travelers can enjoy a one-stop route of "experiencing Shanghai culture in Yu Garden—purchasing international trendy products in the Bund Finance Center—instant tax refund."

According to statistics, since the implementation of centralized tax refund services, the departure tax refund business in Huangpu District (黄浦区), where Yu Garden Mall is located, has grown significantly. The number of filed departure tax refund stores has exceeded 350. As of the end of November 2025, the cumulative number of tax refund forms issued has increased by more than 500% year-on-year, and the sales amount of departure tax refunds has increased by more than 100% year-on-year.

With the implementation of a series of facilitation measures, inbound consumption in Yu Garden and surrounding business districts has become even more popular.

The person in charge of the market and operations department of Yu Garden Mall introduced that the proportion of overseas tourists among tourists has exceeded 30%. After the expanded implementation of the visa-free policy, the sources of tourists have become more diverse, and the number of tourists from Southeast Asia and the Middle East has increased rapidly. In terms of inbound consumption, Chinese traditional cultural products, time-honored intangible cultural heritage foods, and intangible cultural heritage handicrafts rank in the top three. Among them, products such as silk scarves, summer quilts, Chinese clothing, paper-cutting, and Chinese knots are the most popular items purchased by overseas tourists.

Two bamboo strips and a piece of colored paper are constantly transformed into lanterns, flying birds, and other shapes between the ten fingers of the intangible cultural heritage flower turner, attracting many "foreign children" to stop and try. At the Yu Garden Urban Intangible Cultural Heritage Season held some time ago, traditional crafts such as Songjiang (松江) cloth art, rubbing, and diancui (点翠) were displayed in a market format, and tourists could also participate in bamboo weaving creation under the guidance of craftsmen.

Hu Junjie (胡俊杰), Vice President of Yu Garden Tourist Mart (豫园股份), introduced that in recent years, Yu Garden Mall has continuously improved its service capabilities for inbound tourists. Yu Garden Mall is fully covered by Alipay and "Alipay+" services, and bilingual map guidance and slogan signs are set up; during the 2025 Yu Garden Lantern Festival, Japanese and Korean broadcasts were added for Japanese and Korean tourists. More convenient services will be launched during this year's Lantern Festival; not long ago, a digital consumption screen for inbound tourism was also launched in the mall, integrating product shopping guides, storytelling explanations, multilingual interaction, and international payment to help overseas tourists consume independently throughout the entire process.

Hu Junjie said: "During the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, we will continue to attract more overseas tourists by linking business, tourism, and culture, and innovating immersive experiences of Chinese culture."

"Chinese culture is so diverse and full of charm. One trip is not enough. We will come again next time," Annie told reporters.

This issue is coordinated by: Qi Jiarun (祁嘉润)

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Targeted Efforts to Unleash the Potential of Inbound Consumption (Expert Commentary)

By: 姜 照

Inbound consumption is an important indicator for measuring a country's openness and market attractiveness, and it is of positive significance for optimizing the international balance of payments structure, promoting the quality and upgrading of the service industry, and promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and foreign countries.

For some time, the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) and other departments have worked together to launch policy measures such as optimizing departure tax refunds and building an internationalized consumption environment, and the dividends of inbound consumption have continued to be released. Data shows that as of November 2025, there are more than 12,000 departure tax refund stores in China, and the sales of tax refund goods and the amount of tax refunds in the first 11 months increased by 98.8% year-on-year, and the vitality of the inbound consumption market continues to burst forth.

At the same time, it should also be seen that releasing the potential of inbound consumption still faces realistic obstacles. The coverage rate of foreign card acceptance by small and medium-sized merchants is insufficient, and the compatibility of overseas mobile payment services needs to be improved; the overseas dissemination and marketing efforts of time-honored brands and domestic trendy brands rich in Chinese cultural heritage are not enough, and there is a gap in the supply of high-quality goods and characteristic experiences; the connection of cross-departmental processes such as visas, customs clearance, and consumption is not smooth enough, and there are barriers to information sharing, which affects the consumption experience of inbound tourists.

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, in order to deeply stimulate the potential of inbound consumption, it is necessary to focus on key links and make precise efforts. First, we will continue to deepen the reform of payment and tax refund facilitation, expand the coverage of foreign card acceptance in transportation hubs and small and medium-sized merchants, and promote the "buy and refund immediately" model to more business districts, so as to make consumption settlement more convenient and efficient. Second, we will focus on cultivating characteristic and high-quality consumption supply, encourage enterprises to deeply explore the cultural value of intangible cultural heritage and time-honored brands, develop high-quality goods that combine international aesthetics and practical commemorative value, promote the deep integration of domestic trendy culture with cultural tourism, health and wellness, and other service consumption, and enrich consumption choices. Third, we will integrate cross-departmental resources and rely on a unified national information platform to realize real-time data sharing and parallel process approval.

Inbound consumption is not only a direct reflection of the vitality of China's super-large market, but also an important window to showcase the country's open image. By continuously strengthening weaknesses, optimizing supply, and improving services, inbound consumption will continue to play an important role in promoting economic quality and efficiency and deepening mutually beneficial economic and cultural cooperation between China and foreign countries, allowing global tourists to share the development dividends of the Chinese market.

(The author is an associate researcher at the Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce (商务部国际贸易经济合作研究院), and this report was compiled by Wang Ke (王珂), a reporter from this newspaper)

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Songzi River Grand Bridge Successfully Closed

On January 18, the Songzi River Extra Large Bridge, a control project of the Dangyang-Zhijiang-Songzi Expressway, was successfully completed. The Dangyang-Zhijiang-Songzi Expressway is a key project in the "14th Five-Year Plan" for comprehensive transportation in Hubei Province. After completion, it will connect the three counties of Dangyang (当阳), Zhijiang (枝江), and Songzi (松滋), and connect the G42 Shanghai-Chengdu, G50 Shanghai-Chongqing, and S88 Yueyang-Yichang three expressways. The main tower of the bridge adopts an "A" shaped structure, and the shape of the upper end of the tower column implies "Chu clothing collar", highlighting the characteristics of Jingchu culture.

Photo by Liu Weidong (刘卫东) (Image China)

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Pilot areas build 8,132 "15-minute convenient living circles"

This newspaper Beijing (北京) January 19th (Reporter Wang Ke (王珂)) The data released by the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) recently shows that by the end of December 2025, pilot areas for the construction of convenient 15-minute city life circles had built 8,132 convenient life circles, involving 1.954 million commercial outlets, serving 168 million community residents.

The convenient 15-minute city life circle takes community residents as its service target, with a service radius within a 15-minute walk, aiming to meet residents' basic daily consumption and quality consumption needs, and is a community business district formed by the aggregation of multiple business formats. In September 2025, the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) and other 9 departments jointly issued the "Notice on Increasing Efforts to Promote the Expansion and Upgrading of the Construction of Convenient 15-Minute City Life Circles," highlighting "the elderly and the young" to create an age-friendly quality life circle.

The Ministry of Commerce (商务部) stated that it will increase efforts to promote the expansion and upgrading of the construction of convenient life circles, and build an age-friendly quality life circle that is livable, workable, enjoyable, purchasable, and suitable for the elderly and the young. By 2030, 100 pilot cities will be identified for the overall advancement of 15-minute convenient life circles, and 10,000 convenient life circles with reasonable layout, complete business formats, complete functions, high-quality services, smart efficiency, and standardized order will be built.

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Technology-based SMEs included in gradient cultivation scope

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 19th (Reporter: Liu Wenxin (刘温馨)) - Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) issued the latest revised "Administrative Measures for Gradient Cultivation of High-Quality Small and Medium-sized Enterprises," expanding the cultivation base and including technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises in the gradient cultivation scope for the first time. The future gradient of high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises will include technology and innovation-based small and medium-sized enterprises, specialized and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, and specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises.

Since the "14th Five-Year Plan," a total of 17,600 specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises have been cultivated nationwide, driving the cultivation of over 140,000 specialized and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, and over 600,000 technology and innovation-based small and medium-sized enterprises, basically forming a gradient cultivation system for high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises.

The measures aim to better leverage the exemplary role of high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises in driving and strengthening the industrial chain, introducing an active discovery mechanism, fully exploring data such as industrial chain supply chains, equity investments, intellectual property rights, science and technology awards, and talent attraction and cultivation, regularly discovering potential high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises, and directing invitations for them to participate in the certification, but without lowering the certification standards.

At the same time, the certification standards have also been optimized, appropriately raising the threshold requirements. Taking specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises as an example, the operating income has been increased to over 50 million yuan, the research and development expenses have been increased to no less than 12 million yuan in the past two years, and the Class I intellectual property rights have been increased to more than 4 items.

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Soliciting Opinions and Suggestions on the Government Work Report and the "15th Five-Year Plan" Outline

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 19th (北京) – Li Qiang (李强), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, presided over a symposium with experts, entrepreneurs, and representatives from the fields of science, education, culture, health, and sports on the afternoon of January 19th to listen to opinions and suggestions on the two drafts for solicitation of comments on the "Government Work Report" and the "15th Five-Year Plan Outline (Draft)."

At the symposium, Ming Ming (明明), He Jia (贺佳), Yan Junjie (闫俊杰), Zhang Zhigang (张智刚), Gong Qihuang (龚旗煌), Yu Xiaohui (余晓晖), Wang Yongjun (王拥军), Zhou Liya (周莉亚), Shi Yuqi (石宇奇), and others spoke successively. They believed that last year was a very extraordinary year. Facing a complex and severe external situation, our country increased its counter-cyclical adjustment efforts and introduced many pragmatic measures in stabilizing growth, adjusting the structure, and benefiting people's livelihoods. The positive factors in development have been continuously accumulated, the flow of factors has continued to be active, market confidence has been significantly enhanced, and the achievements made are indeed hard-won. Everyone also put forward opinions and suggestions on doing a good job in economic and social development this year and during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, combined with their respective fields.

After listening carefully to everyone's speeches, Li Qiang (李强) pointed out that in the past year, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, we have implemented more proactive and promising macro policies, calmly responded to external shocks, and China's economy has moved forward against pressure and developed towards new and better directions. Emerging industries have accelerated their cultivation and growth, market demand has continued to expand in scale and improve in quality, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality. This year is the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," and the external situation is still complex and volatile, with more uncertain and unpredictable factors, and there are still many old problems and new challenges in economic development. However, it should be noted that the supporting conditions and basic trends for China's long-term economic improvement have not changed, and the prospects for high-quality development are broad. As long as we strengthen our confidence, face the problems directly, and concentrate our efforts on managing our own affairs well, we will surely be able to continuously consolidate and expand the momentum of steady economic improvement and firmly grasp the initiative in development.

Li Qiang (李强) emphasized that it is necessary to thoroughly implement the deployment requirements of the Central "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal and the Central Economic Work Conference, and respond to the uncertainty of the development environment with the certainty of high-quality development. It is necessary to highlight the goal-oriented leadership of high-quality development, implement more proactive fiscal policies and moderately relaxed monetary policies, pay attention to the combined efforts of various policies, strengthen the coordination between reform measures and macro policies, and achieve greater breakthroughs in the effective improvement of quality. It is necessary to broaden the path to achieve high-quality development, strengthen innovation-driven development, deepen reform and opening up, place the strategic focus of development on expanding domestic demand, and continuously enhance the endogenous动力 (nèi shēng dòng lì - "endogenous power," internal driving force) of development. It is necessary to effectively guarantee and improve people's livelihoods in promoting high-quality development, adhere to the close combination of benefiting people's livelihoods and promoting consumption, investing in things and investing in people, cultivate new economic growth points, and continuously enhance people's well-being.

Li Qiang (李强) expressed the hope that everyone will give play to their respective advantages, show greater responsibility, actively reflect the actual situation in economic and social development, put forward opinions and suggestions, and make more contributions to promoting high-quality development.

Wu Zhenglong (吴政隆) attended the symposium.

The two drafts for solicitation of comments on the "Government Work Report" and the "15th Five-Year Plan Outline (Draft)" have been simultaneously solicited for opinions from various regions and departments.

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The number of national metrological technical specifications released last year increased by 60%.

According to data recently released by the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局), 213 national metrological technical specifications were issued in 2025, an increase of 63.8% compared to 2024, bringing the total to 2273.

A batch of national metrological technical specifications for electronic pricing scales, optometry lens boxes, digital AC energy meters, and body weight scales were issued to ensure fair transactions. National metrological technical specifications for satellite navigation interference simulation sources, metrological instrument software identification, and Bluetooth testers were issued to support the development of high-end manufacturing. National metrological technical specifications for energy resource measurement review specifications for key energy-using units in public institutions and automotive emission gas testers were issued to help achieve the "dual carbon" goals.

People's Daily (人民日报) Beijing (北京), January 19th (Reported by Lin Lili (林丽鹂))

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Zhao Leji Holds Talks with Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Sadiq

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 19th (Xinhua) -- Zhao Leji (赵乐际), Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, held talks with Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (萨迪克), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing (北京人民大会堂) on the afternoon of the 19th.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) stated that China and Pakistan are ironclad friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners. Last year, President Xi Jinping (习近平) met with President Asif Ali Zardari (扎尔达里) and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (夏巴兹) respectively, providing new strategic guidance for the development of China-Pakistan relations. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and better benefit the people of both countries.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) pointed out that China highly appreciates Pakistan's long-term and firm support for China on issues involving China's core interests and major concerns. China will, as always, firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity, and support Pakistan in maintaining unity and stability and achieving development and prosperity. China is willing to strengthen the alignment of the "15th Five-Year Plan" with the "Take-off Pakistan" plan, and work with Pakistan to jointly promote the "2.0 upgraded version" of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (中巴经济走廊) construction, and create more achievements in key areas such as industry, agriculture, mining, transportation, and people's livelihood. China supports Pakistan's firm fight against terrorism. The two sides should jointly organize activities to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, youth, media and other fields. China appreciates Pakistan's leading support for the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平), and is willing to work together to promote the implementation of the initiatives, jointly defend the Charter of the United Nations and international law, adhere to true multilateralism, and promote international fairness and justice.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) emphasized that the National People's Congress of China is willing to strengthen multi-level and multi-field exchanges and cooperation with the Parliament of Pakistan, and deepen the exchange of experience in governance and administration, legislation, supervision and other work on topics such as rural revitalization and green development; promptly issue and approve legal documents conducive to cooperation between the two countries, and provide legal guarantees for the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (中巴经济走廊) and the "Belt and Road" initiative; strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, and safeguard the common interests of the two countries and developing countries. Zhao Leji (赵乐际) also introduced the relevant situation of the system of people's congresses.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (萨迪克) said that the ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China has stood the test of time, and the relations between the two countries are strategic. Pakistan firmly supports China's position on issues involving its core interests and major concerns such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Tibet. It is hoped that cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, investment, infrastructure construction, culture, and training between the two countries will be further strengthened. The National Assembly of Pakistan is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the National People's Congress of China and make contributions from legislative bodies to promote Pakistan-China friendship.

Shohrat Zakir (雪克来提·扎克尔) participated in the meeting.

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China-ASEAN Economic and Trade Cooperation to Upgrade in Quality

By: 本报记者 白元琪

China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years; ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for 5 consecutive years; in the first 11 months of last year, China's imports and exports to ASEAN reached 6.82 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.5%... In the face of a complex and volatile global situation, China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation has risen against the trend and moved forward steadily.

January 1 this year marked the 4th anniversary of the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Not long ago, the official signing of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade agreement became an important milestone in the cooperation between the two sides, marking the expansion of the economic integration process between the two sides from traditional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation to emerging fields such as digital, green, and standards. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 will vigorously promote regional digital technology empowerment, green industry cooperation, industrial chain and supply chain interconnection, and standard regulation alignment, and promote the accelerated integration and development of large markets and industrial chain supply chains in the region. China and ASEAN countries continue to strengthen institutional innovation and pragmatic cooperation, lead the construction of the Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area with practical actions, and contribute to regional economic and trade cooperation and world prosperity and development.

Laying a Solid Foundation for Sharing Digital Dividends

In Malaysia, high-level data center clusters built by Chinese enterprises have emerged; in Indonesia, cloud computing projects participated in by Chinese enterprises have empowered regional computing power upgrades... China and ASEAN digital infrastructure cooperation projects are accelerating their layout, and digital economy cooperation that spans mountains and seas and connects each other is steadily advancing.

"China and ASEAN have more than 2 billion people and about 1.5 billion Internet users, with rich digital application scenarios and broad market space." Tong Meng Davi, Deputy Director of the China-ASEAN Research Center of the Cambodian University of Technology and Science, said that the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 has achieved a breakthrough upgrade in the digital economy field, combining the "hard connectivity" of digital infrastructure with the "soft connectivity" of rules and standards, and providing a predictable and sustainable institutional path for regional digital economy cooperation through institutional arrangements for the flow of data elements.

The synergistic efforts of "soft and hard connectivity" help accelerate cross-border trade and increase efficiency. The latest report from the Malaysian E-Commerce Association shows that trade facilitation measures have attracted more agricultural products to enter China through digital platforms and driven the overall upgrading of local industrial chains and brand building. Driven by digital technology, the transaction volume of cross-border e-commerce between China and ASEAN has maintained a high-speed growth of more than 20% for consecutive years, becoming an important engine for the development of trade between the two sides. Luo Yazhi, a durian grower in Penang (槟城), Malaysia, has a deep understanding of this: "The intelligent customs clearance system allows logistics, delivery, and other links to be handled in the 'cloud', and fresh fruits can be delivered to the Chinese market in as little as 48 hours."

Digital empowerment is also deeply integrated into the core links of manufacturing. In Midea's overseas "Lighthouse Factory" in Chonburi (春武里府), Thailand, robotic arms wave skillfully, and intelligent logistics vehicles shuttle in an orderly manner. "Thanks to the deep alignment of digital technology standards between China and Thailand, cross-border collaborative manufacturing has become smoother." Li Peng, the head of the factory, introduced that with the support of 5G and other digital technologies, the factory's production efficiency has increased by about 20%, and an air conditioner is assembled off the line on average every 6 seconds.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn (高金洪) said that China's technological accumulation in 5G, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other fields highly matches the industrial upgrading needs of ASEAN countries. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 will transform this technological potential into a strong driving force for regional development through rule coordination and capacity building, providing a solid guarantee for both sides to share digital dividends.

Providing Support for Green Transformation and Development

In the northern mountainous areas of Laos, deep blue photovoltaic modules stretch along the mountains. As Laos' first large-scale photovoltaic project invested and built by China General Nuclear Power Group (中国广核集团), the base is actively building a clean energy system integrating wind power, photovoltaics, and biomass energy. After the completion of the first phase of the 1,000-megawatt photovoltaic project, it is expected to generate an average of about 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which will reduce standard coal consumption by about 510,000 tons and carbon dioxide emissions by about 1.4 million tons per year, effectively promoting the green transformation of the local energy structure.

From clean energy to green manufacturing, from environmental protection equipment to energy-saving technologies, China's green development experience provides economically feasible solutions for ASEAN countries to explore sustainable development paths. Tu Xinquan (屠新泉), Dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics (对外经济贸易大学), said that the planning and design of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 in the field of green economy will help share the dividends of China's green development more effectively with ASEAN and promote regional green cooperation from "single-point demonstration" to a "system layout" covering green trade, green finance, and circular economy.

Green finance introduces a "source of living water" for industrial transformation in the ASEAN region. Chinese-funded financial institutions continue to increase credit investment in green and sustainable development projects in the ASEAN region and innovatively launch diversified financial products such as green trade financing and green working capital loans. From 2021 to 2025, the Singapore Branch of the Bank of China (中国银行) has underwritten a total of 68 sustainable development bonds, totaling approximately 191 billion yuan, providing financial guarantees for regional green transformation and building a virtuous cycle of "industry-finance integration."

The Chinese solution actively promotes the implementation of the circular economy in ASEAN. In Cambodia's "Industrial Development Corridor," Chinese enterprises participate in the construction of green industrial parks, achieving emission reduction and efficiency through the circular economy model; in the "Fish and Rice Corridor," ecological agricultural technology helps local areas realize the resource utilization of agricultural waste and the ecological cycle of planting and breeding. Tong Meng Davi said that the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade agreement makes special policy arrangements for issues such as rule differences and market access in green cooperation, which is equivalent to "relaxing restrictions and clearing obstacles" for the cross-border promotion and application of green products and technologies, and providing institutional support for Cambodia and China and other ASEAN countries to jointly address climate change and achieve green transformation.

Injecting Momentum into Regional Economic Cooperation

Over the past 4 years since the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the deep integration of the regional supply chain system has been promoted through tariff reductions and rule alignment. The entry into force of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 will form a policy superposition effect with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), helping both sides move from "trade partners" mainly based on trade in goods to a "community of common destiny" with deep embedding of industrial chain value chains.

Tang Longgong Wusentilangu (唐隆功·吴森提兰谷), Dean of the Thailand "Belt and Road" Economic and Education Development Research Institute, believes that the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 rules can effectively reduce the compliance costs of enterprises by introducing strong chain mechanisms such as standard mutual recognition and conformity assessment, enabling them to focus more on localized research and development and production, and creating a more stable and predictable environment for the cross-border layout of emerging industries such as new energy vehicles.

In Rayong (罗勇府), Thailand, Changan Automobile's (长安汽车) first overseas new energy vehicle base is operating at full speed. The first phase of 100,000 vehicle production capacity has been successfully achieved, and the cumulative sales of star models have exceeded 10,000 units, ranking first in Thailand's electric SUV sales list for two consecutive months. From going overseas to build factories to building "chains" across countries, Changan Automobile has driven 9 Chinese enterprises on the chain to coordinate their layout and has carried out in-depth cooperation with 35 Thai suppliers. "We regard the most core 'three-electric' system of new energy vehicles as the focus of localization, and batteries have now achieved local production." Cai Hongwei (蔡洪伟), General Manager of Changan Automobile's Rayong factory in Thailand, said that the base is accelerating its upgrade to an industrial platform integrating manufacturing, collaboration, and capacity output, helping the ASEAN automotive industry chain climb to high value-added links such as electrification and intelligence.

As the level of regional supply chain connectivity continues to improve, the dividend of China's super-large market is constantly being released to ASEAN countries. In the first 10 months of 2025, the trade volume of agricultural and food products between China and ASEAN reached US$51.3 billion, a year-on-year increase of 8.9%. As of December 2025, the China-Laos Railway (中老铁路) has transported more than 72.5 million tons of goods, and high-quality agricultural products such as Cambodian mangoes, Lao coffee, and Vietnamese aquatic products have accelerated their entry into the Chinese market through this "golden channel," and policy benefits have effectively allowed people along the route to "share" the fruits of development.

This year marks the 5th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN. With the implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, bilateral cooperation has reached a new historical starting point. Tang Longgong Wusentilangu (唐隆功·吴森提兰谷) said that the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 will inject more resilient momentum into the ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership and help build a peaceful and stable, shared prosperity, and vibrant ASEAN-China community of common destiny.

Kao Kim Hourn (高金洪) said that ASEAN and China have established one of the most substantive and dynamic partnerships in the region, and economic and trade cooperation between the two sides continues to deepen. Through continuous dialogue, common vision, and collective efforts, ASEAN and China will bring stability, security, and new development opportunities to the region, so that the common vision can be truly transformed into tangible results that benefit the people.

(Reported from Bangkok (曼谷) on January 19)

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China's ¥1.4 Quadrillion: A Reflection of Confidence in the World (Harmony Voice)

China's new leap of 140 trillion yuan, with its "innovation content," "green content," and "future content," provides the world with a strong supply of confidence and fosters more cooperation opportunities for the future.

On January 19th, the "annual report" of China's economy in 2025 was freshly released: the total economic output exceeded the 140 trillion yuan mark for the first time, with a year-on-year increase of 5.0% in GDP, and is expected to contribute about 30% to global economic growth. Facing complex changes in the domestic and international economic environment, China's economy is steadily improving, its structure is optimizing, and its momentum is innovating, fully demonstrating its ability to respond to changes and break through difficulties, as well as its resilience to withstand pressure, injecting more certainty and creating more new opportunities for the world economy.

Looking back at the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's total economic output successively exceeded the 110 trillion yuan, 120 trillion yuan, 130 trillion yuan, and 140 trillion yuan marks. The successive "10 trillion" level climbs fully demonstrate the confidence and resilience of the Chinese economy in the face of the storms of the times. Placed in the context of a turbulent international situation, the hard-won nature of China's economic leap is even more evident. "Withstood the pressure in a complex and volatile environment," an international media observation pointed out that the realization of the expected growth target by China, a super-large economy, is a major benefit to the world economy, which is in a difficult period.

What does China's new economic leap mean for the world? It is worth turning attention to the World Economic Forum 2026 Annual Meeting being held in Davos (达沃斯) , Switzerland. The theme of this year's World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is "The Spirit of Dialogue," which focuses not only on diagnosing the challenges of the times, but also on exploring "innovative solutions that determine the future." To this end, the organizers have listed a series of priority issues: "How to cooperate in an increasingly competitive world?" "How to unleash new growth drivers?" "How to better invest in people?" "How to responsibly promote the scaled application of innovation?" "How to maintain the earth's limits and achieve prosperity?"

Understanding the world's concerns makes it possible to better understand the significance of China's confidence and opportunities in the era - China's new initiatives and endeavors are providing new ideas and setting new examples for solving the common challenges faced by all countries. As a British media article pointed out: China interprets the true meaning of growth.

In 2025, China's R&D investment intensity reached 2.8%, exceeding the average level of OECD countries for the first time, the added value of digital product manufacturing above designated size increased by 9.3% year-on-year, and a number of major scientific research achievements in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and brain-computer interfaces emerged in competition, and the proportion of new energy vehicles in domestic new car sales exceeded 50%... New quality productive forces are constantly developing and growing, supporting China's economy to achieve "quantitative leap" and "qualitative improvement," and also providing profound inspiration for countries to create new growth drivers. Nearly half of the "AI Application Stars" list released by the World Economic Forum on January 19 are from China.

In 2025, China's pace of opening up became more and more determined. The Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自由贸易港) launched the operation of the whole island under customs closure, with the total value of import and export of goods increasing by 3.8% against the trend, of which the scale of goods imports reached a new high of 18.5 trillion yuan, providing a broad market space for various countries. Despite the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, open China is still moving forward steadily and with surging momentum, playing a key role in maintaining the stability and smooth flow of the global industrial chain and supply chain and promoting the in-depth development of economic globalization in difficult times.

In 2025, China's per capita disposable income of residents actually increased by 5.0%, in sync with economic growth; positive progress was made in people's livelihood undertakings such as elderly care, childcare, and medical care; various regions continued to innovate consumption scenarios and optimize the consumption environment, and subdivided fields such as culture, tourism, entertainment, and sports blossomed in many places... China safeguards and improves people's livelihood in development, and expands development space in meeting people's livelihood needs, showing the world in a perceptible and knowable way that "investing in people" not only demonstrates the value of modernization, but also creates increments and releases potential for economic development.

China's new leap of 140 trillion yuan, with its "innovation content," "green content," and "future content," provides the world with a strong supply of confidence and fosters more cooperation opportunities for the future. Entering the "15th Five-Year Plan," the grand blueprint for China's economic and social development in the next five years provides the world with an "opportunity list." China, which adheres to high-quality development and high-level opening up, will inject more certainty and new impetus into the world, and achieve common development and a beautiful shared future.

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"China Will Remain an Important Pillar of Global Economic Growth"

By: 本报记者 任 彦 崔 琦

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 will be held in Davos, Switzerland from January 19th to 23rd. On the eve of the annual meeting, Børge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum, said in an exclusive interview with this reporter: "China plays an important role in global industrial upgrading and green transformation, and China's economic development continues to have a profound impact on the world. We are optimistic about China's future growth because China not only has a world-class university system and sound infrastructure, but also continues to invest in research and development and innovation. Looking ahead to 2026, China will remain an important pillar of global economic growth."

Brende introduced that the theme of this annual meeting is "The Spirit of Dialogue," and approximately 3,000 participants from more than 130 countries and regions around the world will hold discussions around five major topics: how to cooperate in an increasingly competitive world, how to unleash new growth momentum, how to better invest in people, how to responsibly promote the scaled application of innovation, and how to maintain the Earth's limits and achieve prosperity.

"In this era full of uncertainty, dialogue is by no means a dispensable luxury, but an urgent necessity, and the starting point for solving problems," Brende said. Currently, the international community faces many challenges, from supply chain resilience to artificial intelligence governance, from green transformation to skills reshaping, no country can cope alone. The world's major countries bear the common responsibility of addressing challenges.

"From industrial transformation and advanced manufacturing to responsible technology applications and green transformation, China provides important experience for global economic development," Brende said. 2026 is the first year of China's "15th Five-Year Plan," and China's measures in innovation-driven development, industrial upgrading, boosting domestic demand, and promoting international cooperation and trade have attracted much attention. This annual meeting will conduct a series of important dialogues related to China to explore China's economic development prospects and global influence, manufacturing and supply chain transformation, the path of "AI+" empowering the real economy, and how to maintain investment and market connectivity in an increasingly complex global environment.

Brende further explained that, first, China is deeply integrated into the global value chain supply chain, and many countries and enterprises regard cooperation with China as the key to promoting growth and enhancing resilience; second, China's progress in cutting-edge innovation and industrial transformation and upgrading is changing rapidly, and all parties hope to gain a deeper understanding of China's changing trends and explore cooperation space; third, China's progress in green transformation and its ability to achieve the scaled application of technology are of global significance, and deploying technology at a lower cost and faster speed is crucial to promoting the global decarbonization process.

Since the 1990s, Brende has visited many Chinese cities such as Beijing (北京), Tianjin (天津), Suzhou (苏州), Shanghai (上海), Dalian (大连), and Xi'an (西安), and has been deeply impressed by China's green development, "especially the speed and scale at which China transforms its vision into action, and its ability to quickly implement innovative achievements." He said that China's achievements in green development are remarkable, thanks to many positive factors: continuous long-term investment and industrial upgrading have effectively reduced costs and expanded the accessibility of clean technologies; a strong manufacturing and supply chain system can quickly promote the application of innovative solutions and accelerate the competitiveness of renewable energy, power batteries, and electric vehicles; and an innovative environment that supports commercialization enables new technologies to quickly move from pilot projects to scaled applications.

"Last June, the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (Summer Davos Forum) was held in Tianjin (天津), attracting wide participation from around the world, which further highlighted the strong willingness of all parties to conduct dialogue, exchanges and cooperation with China," Brende said. The world continues to pay close attention to China, both because of China's important position in the global economy and because of the huge opportunities brought about by China's continuous development.

"Our goal is not to eliminate differences, but to bridge divisions through dialogue and eliminate obstacles to progress," Brende said. Currently, international cooperation is at a critical period, and the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting hopes to provide a unique platform to transcend differences and overcome difficulties together, so that all parties can listen to each other, broaden their horizons, challenge inherent concepts, and transform consensus into pragmatic cooperation.

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Xi Jinping's Special Envoy and Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee Zheng Jianbang Attends Inauguration Ceremony of Guinea's New President

Xinhua News Agency, Conakry, January 18th (Reporter Zhang Jian) At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Guinea, Mamady Doumbouya (敦布亚), Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping (习近平) and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Zheng Jianbang (郑建邦), attended President Doumbouya's inauguration ceremony in Conakry (科纳克里), the capital of Guinea, on the 17th. President Doumbouya had a brief conversation with Zheng Jianbang during the inauguration ceremony.

Zheng Jianbang conveyed President Xi Jinping's (习近平) cordial greetings and best wishes to Doumbouya, stating that China highly values the development of China-Guinea relations and is willing to work with Guinea to promote traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote greater development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Guinea.

Doumbouya asked Zheng Jianbang to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping (习近平), thanked President Xi Jinping for sending a special envoy to attend his inauguration ceremony, and emphasized that Guinea cherishes the traditional friendship between the two countries and is willing to deepen friendly cooperation with China in various fields to promote bilateral relations to a new level.

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China-Central Asia Trade Defies Headwinds, Highlighting the Leading Role of the China-Central Asia Mechanism

According to a report from our newspaper in Beijing (北京) on January 19th (reporter Han Xiaoming (韩晓明)), regarding the trade volume between China and the five Central Asian countries exceeding $100 billion for the first time in 2025, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) stated during a regular press conference on the 19th that against the backdrop of sluggish global economic growth and severe shocks to the international trade system, China-Central Asia economic and trade cooperation has moved forward against the trend, which proves the leading and promoting role of the China-Central Asia mechanism.

Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) said that according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China (中国海关总署), in 2025, the trade volume between China and the five Central Asian countries exceeded $100 billion, setting a new historical record. The trade structure between the two sides continues to optimize, and more and more high-quality Central Asian products are entering the Chinese market.

"Against the backdrop of sluggish global economic growth and severe shocks to the international trade system, China-Central Asia economic and trade cooperation has moved forward against the trend, with trade volume exceeding 100 billion, demonstrating the vigorous development momentum of China-Central Asia cooperation, proving the leading and promoting role of the China-Central Asia mechanism, and becoming a new milestone in the history of China-Central Asia cooperation," said Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆).

He stated that in the past year, relations between China and Central Asian countries have developed rapidly, the construction of the China-Central Asia mechanism has become increasingly perfect, the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" cooperation has steadily advanced, and non-governmental friendly exchanges have become increasingly close. In particular, the successful holding of the Second China-Central Asia Summit marked a new stage of high-quality development in cooperation between the two sides. Standing at a new historical starting point, China is willing to work with Central Asian countries to capitalize on the momentum, continue to promote the "China-Central Asia Spirit," strengthen the China-Central Asia mechanism, promote all-round cooperation to continue to move towards new, better, and more practical results, and work together to build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

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Photo Report

Recently, international students from Jiangsu University (江苏大学) in Russia, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Vietnam, and other countries came to Hongguang Taigushan Community (红光太古山社区), Jinshan Street (金山街道), Runzhou District (润州区), Zhenjiang City (镇江市) to participate in the "Write 'Fu' Characters to Welcome the New Year" activity. Under the guidance of calligraphers, the foreign students experienced writing the Chinese character "Fu" and Spring Festival couplets, feeling the charm of traditional Chinese culture.

The picture shows foreign students displaying their calligraphy works.

Photo by Shi Yucheng (石玉成) (Image China)

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China's expanded agricultural market access boosts Zimbabwe's exports.

HARARE (Xinhua) -- According to the latest data released by the Trade and Investment Development Corporation (TIDC) of Zimbabwe on the 16th, exports to China accounted for 16.9% of the country's total exports in the first 11 months of 2025.

TIDC Chief Executive Officer, Allan Majuru (艾伦·马朱鲁), said in a statement that with the deepening of bilateral cooperation, there is great potential for trade growth between Zimbabwe and China in agricultural products such as citrus and avocados. In recent years, China has continued to increase its imports of Zimbabwean agricultural products, promoting the entry of various Zimbabwean agricultural products such as citrus, avocados, and blueberries into the Chinese market, further expanding Zimbabwe's export scale to China. Majuru (马朱鲁) highly praised China's measures to expand access for Zimbabwean agricultural products. He said that China's measures will help Zimbabwe expand its agricultural exports, reduce informal trade, and increase the income of local farmers.

According to Chinese customs statistics, the bilateral trade volume between China and Zimbabwe in 2024 was 3.802 billion US dollars, an increase of 23.9% year-on-year. Among them, China's imports from Zimbabwe were 2.43 billion US dollars, an increase of 46.2% year-on-year.

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Singapore Changi Airport to Add Over 600 China-Singapore Flights Around Chinese New Year

According to Xinhua News Agency, Singapore, January 19th (Reporter Shu Chang (舒畅)) - To cope with the Spring Festival travel peak, Singapore Changi Airport Group (新加坡樟宜机场集团) issued a statement on the 19th, saying that the airport will add more than 600 China-Singapore flights from February 1st to March 8th, covering direct routes between Singapore (新加坡) and 15 Chinese cities.

The statement said that China (中国) is Singapore's (新加坡) largest source of tourists, and the Spring Festival has long been an important period for Chinese tourists to travel to Singapore (新加坡). With the winter vacation and Spring Festival approaching, the airport will usher in a new round of passenger flow peak. The statement said that among the 15 Chinese cities, Nanchang (南昌), Ningbo (宁波), Wenzhou (温州), Wuhan (武汉), and Zhengzhou (郑州) will have flights added for the first time during the Spring Festival holiday.

With the continuous promotion of the mutual visa exemption policy between China and Singapore, the number of two-way tourists continues to grow. Data from the Singapore Tourism Board (新加坡旅游局) shows that from January to November 2025, the number of visitors from mainland China (中国大陆) to Singapore (新加坡) reached 2.93 million, ranking first among all source countries.

Lim Ching Kiat (林振杰), Executive Vice President of Air Hub & Cargo Development at Changi Airport Group (樟宜机场集团), said that the significant increase in China-Singapore flight capacity during the Spring Festival reflects the strong travel demand between the two countries and also reflects the close cooperation between Changi Airport (樟宜机场) and various airlines.

During the Spring Festival, Changi Airport (樟宜机场) will also launch online and offline Chinese New Year-themed activities, including consumer promotions and payment discounts, and more merchants will extend their business hours or open nighttime business hours.

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"African Products Enter Chinese New Year": Media Event Held in Changsha

(责任编辑：白宇)

This newspaper Changsha (长沙) January 19th dispatch (Reporter Yang Xun (杨迅)) "African Good Products Enter Chinese New Year" media garden party was recently held at the permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha (长沙), kicking off the upcoming "African Good Products Enter Chinese New Year" event. From January 23rd to February 8th, the event will be held successively in Yiyang (益阳), Yueyang (岳阳), and other places in Hunan (湖南), allowing more consumers to share the new achievements of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.

(Responsible editor: Bai Yu (白宇))

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Inauguration Ceremony Held for University of Emergency Management

Xinhua News Agency, Shijiazhuang, January 19th. The inaugural meeting of the University of Emergency Management was recently held in Langfang, Hebei Province. Zhang Guoqing (张国清), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended and delivered a speech.

Zhang Guoqing (张国清) emphasized that the establishment of the University of Emergency Management is a major decision made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, focusing on strengthening emergency management talent cultivation and discipline construction, and promoting the modernization of the emergency management system and capabilities. It is an important measure to implement the strategies of building a strong country in education, science and technology, and talent. The University of Emergency Management should seize the opportunity and 乘势而上 (chéng shì ér shàng - "take advantage of the situation," to seize the opportunity and rise to the occasion), and strive to steadily move towards the goal of building a distinctive, world-class, high-level applied research university. It is necessary to firmly establish the concept of "building the school politically," always implement the Party's leadership throughout the entire process of running the school, and consolidate the talent foundation and intellectual support for protecting the safety of people's lives and property and promoting the reform and development of emergency management. It is necessary to highlight the characteristics and positioning of running the school, facing the practical needs of all types of disasters and major emergencies, carry out detailed research on the entire chain, and build discipline clusters and professional clusters that serve the fields of work safety, natural disaster prevention and control, and emergency rescue. It is necessary to create more "emergency +" training models, focus on actual combat training, and cultivate more compound talents who understand the industry, are proficient in their profession, emphasize safety, and are capable of handling emergencies. It is necessary to strengthen the integrated development of science, education, and research, focus on major disaster and accident risk prevention and emergency response problems, strengthen basic theoretical research, accelerate the tackling of key core technologies and key common technologies, and promote the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent.

Responsible comrades from relevant departments of the central and state organs, relevant localities and universities, as well as representatives of teachers and students, attended the meeting.

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Central Political and Legal Work Conference Held in Beijing

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 19th (Reporter Qi Yukun (亓玉昆)) The Central Political and Legal Work Conference was held in Beijing (北京) from the 18th to the 19th. Chen Wenqing (陈文清), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. He emphasized that the political and legal front must adhere to Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping (习近平)'s thought on the rule of law and the overall national security concept, firmly support the "Two Establishments" and resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards," adhere to the Party's absolute leadership, adhere to the people-centered approach, adhere to coordinating development and security, establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, and strive to build a higher level of safe China (中国) and rule-of-law China (中国) to provide a strong guarantee for achieving a good start to the "15th Five-Year Plan."

Chen Wenqing (陈文清) fully affirmed the achievements of the national political and legal work in 2025 and emphasized that to do a good job in 2026, it is necessary to strengthen political construction, implement the Party's absolute leadership over political and legal work, and unify thoughts, wills, and actions with the Party's innovative theories. It is necessary to strengthen the construction of a safe China (中国), strictly implement the Party Committee (Party Group)'s national security responsibility system and the social stability maintenance responsibility system, manage together and simultaneously prevent and punish, and resolutely safeguard national security and social stability. It is necessary to strengthen the construction of the rule of law, accelerate the construction of China (中国)'s independent legal knowledge system, and coordinate the advancement of scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial justice, and universal law-abiding. It is necessary to strengthen infrastructure construction, do a good job in the investigation and resolution of contradictions and disputes across the entire chain, deepen the service management of relevant groups, strengthen the construction of grassroots political and legal units, and accelerate the construction of a digital platform for political and legal work. It is necessary to strengthen team building, promote comprehensive and strict Party governance with higher standards, and forge a loyal, clean, and responsible new era political and legal iron army.

Wang Xiaohong (王小洪) presided over the meeting and made a concluding speech. Zhang Jun (张军) and Ying Yong (应勇) attended the meeting.

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Publicly Announcing Three Typical Problems of Rectifying Formalism and Reducing Burdens for基层

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京) January 19th - Recently, the office of the special work mechanism for rectifying formalism and reducing burdens at the grassroots level of the Central Committee, together with the General Office of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, issued a notice on three typical problems of rectifying formalism and reducing burdens at the grassroots level. The details are as follows:

1. Haicheng City (海城市), Anshan City (鞍山市), Liaoning Province (辽宁省), spent a large amount of money to purchase consulting services from a "Top 100 Counties" ranking evaluation agency, which helped it achieve a higher ranking on the list. In June 2024, Haicheng City (海城市) spent 4.98 million yuan to sign a "Comprehensive Service for County Economic and New Quality Productivity Research" consulting project contract with a "Top 100 Counties" ranking evaluation agency. The research of this consulting project did not propose valuable development suggestions based on local realities. Considering factors such as the "Top 100 Counties" ranking, Haicheng City (海城市) did not raise different opinions to the evaluation agency regarding the weak effectiveness of the project results, and the project acceptance became a mere formality. In the 2025 ranking evaluation process, the evaluation agency helped several cooperative counties (cities) achieve a higher ranking on the "Top 100 Counties" list by increasing subjective indicator scores. Among them, Haicheng City (海城市) was adjusted from 118th place in objective indicator scores to 91st place in comprehensive scores.

2. Relevant departments in Henan Province (河南省) set unreasonable assessment indicators in the work of attracting foreign investment, and grassroots units resorted to fraud to complete the tasks. In recent years, in the assessment of attracting foreign investment, the Department of Commerce of Henan Province (河南省商务厅) still required year-on-year increases on the basis of inflated figures, frequently reported the completion of local areas, and knowingly did not conduct careful review and control of the reported data. Some counties and districts required enterprises to provide false supporting materials in order to complete the tasks, and even fabricated data on behalf of enterprises, resulting in distorted and untrue data. For example, from January to November 2025, the Wuyang County (舞阳县) Bureau of Commerce of Luohe City (漯河市) falsely reported more than 7 billion yuan of foreign investment, the Zhecheng County (柘城县) Bureau of Commerce of Shangqiu City (商丘市) falsely reported more than 4 billion yuan of foreign investment, and a project in the Guancheng District (管城区) of Zhengzhou City (郑州市) falsely reported 960 million yuan of foreign investment.

3. Relevant departments in Yunnan Province (云南省) frequently ranked and reported in their work, and some places fabricated statistical data to complete the indicators. Relevant departments in Yunnan Province (云南省) violated the "Several Provisions on Rectifying Formalism and Reducing Burdens at the Grassroots Level" by ranking and reporting the industrial added value and growth rate, fixed asset investment growth rate, and other indicators of 129 counties (cities, districts) in the province every quarter. In order to complete the tasks, some places increased the indicators level by level, convened meetings frequently, and the grassroots fabricated statistical data under the pressure of superiors. From 2022 to 2024, over a period of 3 years, 34 industrial enterprises above designated size in Shuangjiang County (双江县), Lincang City (临沧市) cumulatively falsely reported an output value of 3.5 billion yuan, and multiple departments and townships in Shuangbai County (双柏县), Chuxiong Prefecture (楚雄州) entrusted intermediary agencies to fabricate filing materials for 284 investment projects, cumulatively falsely reporting a completed fixed asset investment of more than 4 billion yuan.

The above problems expose the deviation in the performance concept of some places and departments, and the work of rectifying formalism and reducing burdens at the grassroots level is not attentive and in place. Some people do not hesitate to spend money to buy false names for the sake of political achievements, seeking to be listed on various lists such as "Top 100 Counties" and "Top 1000 Towns," which increases the "involution" and financial burden of the grassroots, and fuels the profit-seeking behavior of ranking evaluation agencies. Some people resort to fraud for the sake of political achievements, issue indicators out of touch with reality, assign tasks level by level, "only examine but not verify" the assessment indicators, and fail to supervise and manage false data. The grassroots do superficial work and fabricate data to cope with bureaucracy with formalism.

All regions and departments must adhere to Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the Party Central Committee's decision-making and deployment to rectify formalism and reduce burdens at the grassroots level, strengthen education on the correct concept of political achievements, guide leaders at all levels to adhere to achieving political achievements for the people and achieving political achievements through hard work, consciously act in accordance with the laws, and resolutely overcome the desire for quick success and instant benefit, fraud, and blind and reckless actions. Special work mechanisms for rectifying formalism and reducing burdens at the grassroots level at all levels should closely focus on the overall situation of development, focus on finding and solving outstanding problems of formalism and bureaucracy that affect the implementation of the Party Central Committee's decision-making and deployment, and provide a strong guarantee of work style for achieving a good start to the "15th Five-Year Plan."

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Photo Report

On January 19th, Duji District (杜集区), Huaibei City (淮北市), Anhui Province (安徽省) welcomed snowfall. Nanshan Village (南山村) of Kuangshanjie Subdistrict (矿山集街道) quickly organized Party member volunteers to go deep into the front lines of production to clear snow, minimizing the adverse effects of snowfall and cooling on agricultural production. The picture shows Party member volunteers clearing snow from greenhouses in Duji District (杜集区) on that day.

Photo by Liu Qi (刘棋) (People's Vision)

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Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong to increase by 12% year-on-year in 2025

This newspaper Hong Kong (香港) January 19th dispatch (Reporter Chen Ran (陈然)) The Hong Kong Tourism Board (香港旅游发展局) announced on the 19th that preliminary statistics for the entire year of 2025 show approximately 49.9 million visitors to Hong Kong (香港), a 12% increase compared to 2024; among them, the number of visitors to Hong Kong (香港) in December of last year was approximately 4.65 million, a year-on-year increase of 9%.

According to data from the Hong Kong Tourism Board (香港旅游发展局), approximately 37.8 million mainland visitors visited Hong Kong (香港) in 2025, an increase of approximately 11% compared to 2024, accounting for 76% of the total number of visitors to Hong Kong (香港). There were approximately 12.1 million visitors from non-mainland markets, an increase of 15% year-on-year, accounting for 24% of the total number of visitors to Hong Kong (香港). Among these, Japan, Vietnam, Australia and the Middle East regions saw particularly strong growth, with year-on-year increases of 25% or more; short-haul markets such as Thailand, Vietnam and India have also recovered or exceeded pre-epidemic levels.

In addition, the average length of stay for overnight visitors to Hong Kong (香港) in the past year was 3.1 nights; according to a survey by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (香港旅游发展局), the satisfaction score of overnight visitors to Hong Kong (香港) was 8.9 out of a full score of 10.

It is understood that during the Lunar New Year, Hong Kong (香港) will hold events such as fireworks displays, the Chinese New Year International Parade Night, and Lunar New Year horse racing, adding a strong festive atmosphere to the holiday and is expected to attract more tourists to Hong Kong (香港).

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The State Council's Safety Committee Decides to Supervise the Investigation and Handling of the Accident.

Beijing, January 19th (Reported by Liu Wenxin (刘温馨), Wu Yong (吴勇), and Zhang Cheng (张枨)) At approximately 3:00 PM on January 18th, an explosion occurred at the Baogang Steel Plate Factory in Baotou (包头), Inner Mongolia (内蒙古). As of 10:00 PM on January 19th, the accident has resulted in 6 deaths, 4 missing, and 84 injuries. Professional rescue teams are still making every effort to search for the missing persons. Relevant officials from the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部) have led a working group to the site to guide rescue and disposal efforts. The State Council Safety Committee (国务院安委会) has decided to supervise the investigation and handling of the accident.

It is reported that after receiving the report, the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部) immediately made arrangements, requiring scientific organization of search and rescue efforts, further verification of personnel information, and prevention of secondary accidents; making every effort to treat the injured and minimize casualties; and investigating the cause as soon as possible, to **举一反三** (jǔ yī fǎn sān - "deduce many things from one instance," to draw inferences; learn from one example) and resolutely avoid similar accidents from happening again.

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With One Heart and Mind, Continue the Struggle (Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee)

By: 本报记者 何昭宇

All great achievements are the result of continuous struggle, and all great undertakings need to be advanced through building on past successes.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal reviewed and approved by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee is another general mobilization and deployment to take advantage of the situation and continuously promote the construction of Chinese-style modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "The 'Proposal' adopted by the Plenary Session is based on consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts to deploy strategic tasks concerning the overall situation of Chinese-style modernization during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period. It is a programmatic document guiding economic and social development during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period. Studying and implementing the spirit of the Plenary Session is a major political task for the entire party and the entire country in the current and future periods."

For some time, all regions, departments, and units have quickly launched a wave of studying and implementing the spirit of the Plenary Session. The vast number of party members and cadres have deeply studied, thoroughly understood, earnestly practiced, and diligently worked, maintained strategic focus, enhanced confidence in victory, and gathered the mighty force to promote Chinese-style modernization.

Building Consensus, Maintaining Confidence in Victory

Surrounded by green mountains and with green bricks and black tiles, in November 2025, in Waitongwu Village (外桐坞村), Zhuantang Street (转塘街道), Xihu District (西湖区), Hangzhou City (杭州市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), members of the Central Propaganda Group for Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee sat down with villagers and grassroots cadres to talk freely and discuss development.

"The publicity made me have a deeper understanding of the spirit of the Plenary Session." Yan Chao (严超), Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Zhuantang Street, kept dense notes in his notebook, "We must firmly establish and practice the concept that green waters and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains, and solidly promote the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside."

Yan Chao was deeply touched by the "consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts" in the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal: "Promoting integrated urban-rural development and coordinated regional development is to consolidate the foundation. We must base ourselves on the local tea gardens, and on the basis of doing a good job in ecological management and quality traceability, further increase investment in science and technology to better enrich the people and revitalize the village."

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, China's development is in a period where strategic opportunities and risks and challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. This is the Party Central Committee's basic judgment on the domestic and international situation.

In Kunshan Logistics Center (昆山物流中心) of the Yangtze River Delta International Airport (长三角国际空港) in Suzhou City (苏州市), Jiangsu Province (江苏省), batches of goods are completed on the automated assembly line and shipped to Europe via Shanghai (上海).

With the complex and volatile external environment, how can we stabilize foreign trade?

"Studying and understanding the spirit of the Plenary Session made me deeply realize the importance of 'concentrating our efforts on doing our own things well' and deeply realize that core competitiveness comes from the optimization and resilience of the internal system." Qin Weixi (秦微晰), Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Demonstration Zone (昆山经济技术开发示范区), said, "If logistics efficiency is improved and operating costs are reduced, foreign trade companies will be more competitive internationally."

Confidence is even more precious in overcoming difficulties. At the construction site of the Pazhi Water Conservancy Hub Project (帕孜水利枢纽工程) at an altitude of more than 4,300 meters in Tibet (西藏), various construction machinery roared, and construction workers were full of energy. This major national water conservancy project located in Angren County (昂仁县), Shigatse City (日喀则市) is related to the stable water use for irrigation in the downstream irrigation area and for the production and life of urban and rural residents.

Li Jun (李骏), Secretary of the Joint Party Branch of the Pazhi Water Conservancy Project of Shigatse Everest City Investment Group (日喀则珠峰城投集团), said: "Studying the spirit of the Plenary Session makes us feel more responsible. All party members will charge ahead, ensure quality with scientific construction, and seize progress with tenacious struggle to ensure the completion of the project as scheduled."

To govern the country, we must first govern the party, and only when the party is prosperous can the country be strong. The more complex and volatile the situation and the more arduous and heavy the tasks, the more important it is to adhere to, use well, and develop the party's leadership, which is the greatest advantage.

In order to promote the relocation and resettlement work, the Party Working Committee of Yingbin Road Street (迎宾路街道), Yuhong District (于洪区), Shenyang City (沈阳市), Liaoning Province (辽宁省) built a party building joint meeting platform, where relevant functional departments worked on-site, and development companies communicated face-to-face with resident representatives. In just over two months, the problems were solved one by one, and the residents were successfully relocated.

"Party building leadership brings together joint efforts, solves problems, and warms people's hearts. As long as we always think and work together with the masses, there will be solutions to even the most difficult things, and life will definitely get better and better." Chen Yonghong (陈湧浤), Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Yingbin Road Street, said after deeply studying and understanding the spirit of the Plenary Session.

Drawing Wisdom, Mastering Ideological Methods

In November 2025, after the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping embarked on his first domestic inspection, going south to Hainan (海南) and Guangdong (广东) provinces. When listening to the report on the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自由贸易港), he emphasized: "Our feet must be on the ground. There are inherent laws in everything we do."

Everything must have a method before it can be successful. The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal contains ideological and working methods for starting a business. Scientifically formulating and continuously implementing the five-year plan demonstrates strategic thinking with foresight and planning.

"In starting a business, vision determines the realm." After listening to the publicity of the spirit of the Plenary Session, Ma Yangbiao (马扬飚), Deputy Director of the Management Committee of the Science Park of Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区), Hebei (河北), had a deeper and more comprehensive understanding, "Our policies and measures must be practical and effective, and truly build Xiong'an New Area into an important source of independent innovation and original innovation."

The Science Park of Xiong'an New Area plans and lays out in advance a "one park with multiple bases" integrating technological innovation, industrial incubation, pilot-scale production, and talent training to empower the park's efficient operation. Today, on the public experimental platform, satellite navigation technology equipment is stably tested and operated in specific environments; in the pilot-scale workshop, top talent teams are debugging the world's leading 3D printing equipment... Various innovative elements from Beijing (北京), Tianjin (天津), and Hebei (京津冀) are constantly gathering here.

Systematic thinking is a fundamental ideological and working method. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out profoundly: "All regions and departments must adhere to systematic thinking, consciously act under the overall situation, and play a good game of chess for the whole country."

At the junction of Guang'an City (广安市), Sichuan Province (四川省) and Chongqing Municipality (重庆市), Sichuan-Chongqing vehicles come and go, and new factories are emerging, and the Sichuan-Chongqing High-tech New Area (川渝高竹新区) is interpreting the story of regional linkage development.

For the country's first new area jointly built across provinces, exploring the reform of appropriately separating the economic zone from the administrative region is a major mission. Zhao Dong (赵冬), Executive Deputy Director of the Management Committee of the Sichuan-Chongqing High-tech New Area, said: "We adhere to systematic thinking, strengthen collaborative efforts, issue an action plan for the construction of regional market integration, promote 'different places with the same standards' for market access, open up service channels in areas such as tax collection and management, medical insurance, and social security, and accelerate integration into and service to the construction of a unified national market. This is not only the integration of geographical space, but also the deep coordination of systems, mechanisms, policy services, and market factors."

To study and implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, it is important to deeply understand Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, get the ideological methods right, and learn the skills of the trade.

In Foshan City (佛山市), Guangdong Province (广东省), how can a city famous for traditional manufacturing move towards the new? The answer lies in adapting to local conditions.

The traditional ceramic manufacturing industry is high in energy consumption and pollution. However, walking into the digital demonstration workshop of Foshan Mona Lisa Group (佛山蒙娜丽莎集团), it is spacious, bright, clean, and tidy, and the ceramic industrial ammonia-hydrogen zero-carbon combustion technology demonstration production line is operating efficiently. This technology was developed and implemented by the company in conjunction with Foshan Xianhu Laboratory (佛山仙湖实验室), allowing the ceramic production line to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 5,200 tons per year.

"Developing new quality productive forces is not simply abandoning the old and pursuing the new. Promoting the high-end, intelligent, and green transformation of traditional industries is itself an important path to developing new quality productive forces." Wang Yong (王勇), Secretary of the Nanhai District Committee (南海区委) of Foshan City, said, "We must seek truth from facts, rely on existing advantages, and empower industrial upgrading through technological innovation to build a solid foundation for the construction of a modern industrial system."

Promoting Work Through Learning, Stimulating the Power of Endeavor

On the first working day after the New Year's Day holiday, many places held the "First Meeting of the New Year," focusing on topics such as optimizing the business environment, empowering technological innovation, and promoting high-level opening up to the outside world. The vast number of party members and cadres are high-spirited, proactive, and enterprising, and are full of energy to start a business.

Significant achievements have been made in high-quality development, the level of scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement has been greatly improved, and new breakthroughs have been made in further comprehensively deepening reform... The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal clearly puts forward a series of goals and tasks, which are inspiring.

In the Haihe Laboratory of Green Creation and Manufacturing of Materials (物质绿色创造与制造海河实验室) in Tianjin (天津), sensor indicator lights are constantly flashing, and researchers are intently debugging and installing large-capacity aqueous zinc ion battery assembly equipment.

"Currently, the global energy transition is accelerating, and independent innovation is the key to seizing the future track and shaping international competitiveness." Niu Zhiqiang (牛志强), Deputy Director of the Development Office of the Haihe Laboratory of Green Creation and Manufacturing of Materials, said, "We will further strengthen scientific research, accelerate the transformation of results, promote the large-scale application of technology, and let innovative achievements go from the laboratory to the production line."

Adhering to open cooperation and mutual benefit and win-win results is an inevitable requirement of Chinese-style modernization.

On December 18, 2025, the Hainan Free Trade Port officially launched the full island customs closure operation. The open dividends of expanding the scope of "zero tariff" commodities, the gathering advantages of innovation forces in seed industry, deep sea, and aerospace, and the competitive talent introduction policies have made global business entities set their sights on this hot spot of opening up.

"The construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port provides a broad platform for deep-sea technology to go to the world." Shi Yanan (时亚南), Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Administration (崖州湾科技城管理局) in Sanya (三亚), said, "Relying on Nanshan Port (南山港), China's first public scientific research wharf, we will accelerate the construction of the Sanya Deep-Sea Scientific Research Wharf and the shore-based experimental support platform project to form a more open and shared marine science and technology platform and build a high ground for deep-sea innovation and opening up."

The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is the first five years after the transition period for consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively linking them with rural revitalization. After the transition period, how to promote normalized assistance?

In Wenming Yao Ethnic Township (文明瑶族乡), Rucheng County (汝城县), Chenzhou City (郴州市), Hunan Province (湖南省), at the construction site of the Shazhou Agricultural Products Cold Chain Storage and Logistics Trading Center (沙洲农产品冷链仓储物流交易中心), Yuan Huiqing (袁会卿), Secretary of the Township Party Committee, is leading the project office staff to investigate the installation progress of cold storage equipment. Standardized cold chain services will reduce the storage loss of agricultural products and help fruit farmers sell at staggered peaks to increase income. "We will further strengthen development-oriented assistance, enhance the economic vitality and development momentum of poverty-stricken areas by cultivating the deep processing industry of characteristic fruits, and firmly guard the bottom line of preventing large-scale return to poverty." Yuan Huiqing said.

Chinese-style modernization prioritizes people's livelihood.

Some time ago, a food delivery rider in Weifang City (潍坊市), Shandong Province (山东省) was injured in a traffic accident during work. After learning about the situation, the Weifang Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau (潍坊市人力资源和社会保障局) immediately launched the occupational injury guarantee program for new employment forms, completed the injury and rehabilitation confirmation on the same day, and clarified the relevant benefits.

"New employment forms such as online delivery personnel often have no way to seek help when they encounter occupational injuries because the labor relationship is difficult to determine." Mou Xiaoming (牟晓明), Deputy Section Chief of the Work Injury Insurance Section of the Weifang Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, said, "We must implement the spirit of the Plenary Session, base ourselves on local realities, and formulate policies and measures as soon as possible to expand the coverage of work injury insurance, launch online handling of occupational injuries and 'one-stop' window services, and weave a tight and solid safety net for workers in new employment forms."

As the years change, what remains unchanged is the attitude of strivers; as the chapters are renewed, what remains clear is the pace of those moving forward.

The footsteps of those who bend down to observe the situation in the fields, the figures of those who brave the wind and snow at the construction site, and the efforts of those who work day and night in the laboratory... The vast number of party members and cadres use their hard work and dedication to interpret the truth that "socialism is achieved through hard work, and the new era is achieved through struggle."

2026 is the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." With the courage to spur on the horse, stimulate the vitality of thousands of horses galloping, and maintain the momentum of never stopping, we will surely continue to create a new situation in the construction of Chinese-style modernization with one heart and continuous struggle.

(Our reporters Xu Yuyao (徐驭尧), Dou Hao (窦皓), and Dong Zeyang (董泽扬) participated in the writing)

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China's testing and certification agencies establish a "quantity reduction, quality improvement" development trend.

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 19th (Reporter Lin Lili (林丽鹂)) - The State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局) recently announced that China's inspection and testing institutions have now established a development trend of "quantity reduction and quality improvement." Institutions above a certain size, accounting for about 15% of the total number, contribute more than 80% of the total revenue of the industry, and the characteristics of intensive development of the industry are more obvious.

Implement dynamic management of "entry and exit." Launch the "Three-Year Action Plan for Quality Improvement and Optimization of National Quality Inspection Centers" to promote the "slimming down" and quality improvement of national quality inspection centers. Adhere to the combination of an effective market and a promising government, accelerate the elimination of "small, scattered, and weak" institutions through market-oriented means, strictly control the access threshold to ensure the quality of institutions from the source, promote the tilting of resource elements towards strategic emerging industrial fields such as new energy, new materials, and the low-altitude economy, and enhance the gold content of national-level platforms.

Strengthen collaborative innovation in the industrial chain. Change the traditional 单打独斗 (dān dǎ dú dòu - "fighting alone," operating in isolation) model, and focus on promoting the "quality-strengthening chain" project. Focusing on cutting-edge fields such as "professional chips," organize national quality inspection centers to collaborate with upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain to tackle common technical problems and provide technical support for the development of new quality productive forces.

Create regional innovation highlands. Promote the joint construction of technology and resource sharing in regions such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (京津冀), the Yangtze River Delta (长三角), and the Pearl River Delta (珠三角), form cross-regional inspection and testing service clusters, and create "growth poles" for the high-quality development of the regional economy.

In 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局) will focus on deepening supply-side structural reform and accelerate the construction of an inspection and testing industry layout that is compatible with the modern industrial system.

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Page One Editors: Hu Anqi, Zhao Zheng, Luan Xinyi; Page Two Editors: Yin Xinyu, Zhang Anyu, Cui Bin; Page Three Editors: Wu Gang, Zhou Zhou, Cheng Shijie; Page Four Editors: Yuan Zhenxi, Liu Jingwen, Yu Xuan

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High-Quality Resources "Sink Down," A Better Life "Lifted Up" (People's Daily Commentary)

By: 常 钦

The "lifting force" of people's livelihood guarantees reflects the strength and determination to solve problems for the people and invest in the future.

Transforming the grand narrative of national development into a tangible reality of happiness for everyone, allowing every Chinese person on the path of struggle to move more calmly and with a more determined gaze.

"Families with children will receive an additional 300 yuan per month in subsidies." In his New Year's message for 2026, President Xi Jinping's (习近平) sincere and simple words touched the hearts of countless parents. This kind of support, through massive investment from the national treasury, provides heartwarming support to ordinary families.

In recent years, a significant characteristic of improvements in people's livelihoods is that various policies no longer stop at "reducing burdens," but rather release a stronger "lifting force." The "lifting force" of people's livelihood guarantees reflects the strength and determination to solve problems for the people and invest in the future.

A stronger "lifting force" first means breaking with convention, taking out "real money" to directly reach the masses, and providing more tangible benefits.

In the past, we adopted more methods such as extending holidays for fertility support, while the childcare subsidy system launched in 2025 is the first time China has issued universal cash subsidies to residents. This is not only an enrichment of the policy toolbox, but also an upgrade of the development concept—adhering to the close integration of investing in things and investing in people.

For Liao Lizhan (廖立战), a farmer in Taitong Village (太同村), Guigang City (贵港市), Guangxi (广西), the weight of this support is measurable. His family has 3 children and received 10,800 yuan in subsidies last year. This amount is equivalent to more than two months of his salary. As a father who has been working away from home for a long time and bearing the burden of supporting his family, this brings not only economic gains, but also a sense of security.

As of the end of 2025, the national childcare subsidy issuance rate reached approximately 80%, and more than 24 million people, like Liao Lizhan (廖立战), have enjoyed this national dividend. The national treasury directly shares the pressure of family childcare, and this "direct giving" allows more young parents to feel the warmth of fertility support policies.

A stronger "lifting force" is reflected in the ability of high-quality resources to "sink down" and "lift up" hope when the masses face urgent difficulties and anxieties.

The importance of people's livelihood is particularly prominent in areas such as medical care, housing, and post-disaster reconstruction. The challenge of improvement lies in the fact that simply having financial investment is not enough; a strong resource allocation capability is also needed.

Nie Heng (聂衡) from Nanjian Yi Autonomous County (南涧彝族自治县), Yunnan (云南), suffers from clubfoot in his left foot, making it difficult to walk. In 2025, the national mobile medical team from Huashan Hospital (华山医院) affiliated with Fudan University (复旦大学) came to his doorstep. Experts successfully performed osteotomy and muscle strength balance correction surgery for him. Six weeks later, Nie Heng's (聂衡) foot shape returned to normal. From "going out to find a doctor" to "experts coming to deliver health," this new resource allocation method is a vivid manifestation of the continuous enhancement of the "lifting force" of people's livelihood policies.

In Dingri County (定日县), Tibet (西藏), the 6.8 magnitude earthquake in early 2025 severely damaged people's homes. Post-disaster reconstruction is in full swing. In August of the same year, Zaxi Luobu (扎西罗布), a villager in Sengga Village (森嘎村), moved into a spacious and bright new house with 24-hour hot water supply. From the helplessness after the earthquake in the cold winter to the joy of moving into a new home in a short period of time, behind the "China speed" of efficient reconstruction is the strong power of the state to provide a safety net for disaster-stricken people.

A stronger "lifting force" is also reflected in the warmth of institutional design, providing a "safe harbor" and "gas station" for every striver.

Who will protect the rights and interests of new employment groups in urban development? In Erqi District (二七区), Zhengzhou (郑州), Henan (河南), Wang Guanghui (王光辉), a delivery driver, can "take a breather and rest" at a special station when he is tired from running orders in the cold wind. There is a microwave oven to heat food and a medicine cabinet for emergencies. These public facilities in the streets and alleys better meet the segmented needs of different groups of people, allowing more people to feel accepted, respected, and cared for.

Innovating forms to provide convenience for new employment groups is a microcosm of the continuous weaving and strengthening of the people's livelihood security network. In 2025, the pilot scope of occupational injury insurance for new employment forms was expanded to 17 provinces, covering 11 platform enterprises in the travel, instant delivery, and intra-city freight industries. In 2026, this pilot will be expanded to 31 provinces and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (新疆生产建设兵团). "Every order must be insured, and everyone must be insured." The support of the system protects strivers so they can pursue their dreams wholeheartedly and without distraction.

In Chinese-style modernization, people's livelihood is paramount. There is no end to improving people's livelihoods, only continuous new starting points. The increasingly enhanced "lifting force" is transforming the grand narrative of national development into a tangible reality of happiness for everyone, allowing every Chinese person on the path of struggle to move more calmly and with a more determined gaze.

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Snowstorm Relentless, Great Wall Station Calls for Help (Heartwarming News & Hot Takes)

By: 胡润新

Friendly, open, and inclusive minds, a spirit of not fearing difficulties and striving for excellence – these spiritual qualities are the most valuable assets of a country and a nation at any time.

[Keywords] Polar Warmth
[Event] In a South Korean variety show, to thank China for its long-term cooperation and exchange with the Korean Sejong Station, four Korean entertainers, as "honorary members," visited the Chinese Antarctic Great Wall Station (中国南极长城站) to cook a thank-you meal. When the Korean team entered the Great Wall Station (长城站), what they saw was beyond their expectations: vegetables in the greenhouse were growing well, seasonings and ingredients in the warehouse were readily available, and there were even "rare" ingredients such as drunken shrimp and bullfrogs, which was completely different from their previous experience of polar life. After the filming, the Korean team was blocked by a blizzard and unable to return. The proper arrangement by the Great Wall Station (长城站) once again demonstrated the responsibility of a major country.
[Commentary]
No one expected that a South Korean food variety show would become a "hardcore promotional video" for China – the Chinese Antarctic Great Wall Station (中国南极长城站) became popular, allowing people to see not only the "Chinese strength" of polar scientific research but also the "Chinese warmth" that goes straight to the heart in the wind and snow.
"The wind and snow are merciless, but the Great Wall Station (长城站) welcomes you." When the blizzard came, the Korean team held an emergency meeting, carefully asking whether the large team of 29 people, including production staff, could temporarily stay at the Great Wall Station (长城站). The Great Wall Station (长城站) leader's "no problem, don't worry" "instant reply" made the Korean team's brows relax instantly. Clean and warm "snow scene room" dormitories, the enthusiastic hospitality of "hot water is here, take as many snacks as you like"... Extending a warm helping hand when others are in trouble is the Chinese way of hospitality, demonstrating deeply rooted inclusiveness and friendliness.
In the special environment of the polar region, mutual assistance relies not only on heartfelt kindness but also on the hardcore strength of scientific research of a major country.
Before departure, the Korean team was reminded that at that time, the stations of various countries "may all have frozen ingredients, with almost no fresh ingredients." As soon as they arrived at the Great Wall Station (长城站), the dazzling array of ingredients made them exclaim, "It's like coming to a Chinese supermarket." The powerful logistics and supply system makes the long-distance, high-difficulty delivery of fresh food a reality. The Great Wall Station (长城站) has 15 overwintering members, but it can "open its doors to guests," accommodating a number of people far exceeding the regular establishment, "designed for full load," leaving enough safety redundancy with a bottom-line thinking to ensure that it can steadily cope with emergencies. These solid "family assets" allow us to fully demonstrate the demeanor of a major country.
The achievement of success is never achieved **一蹴而就** (yī cù ér jiù - "one kick then accomplish," to accomplish something in one step; to achieve success easily or overnight). The current composure and abundance of the Great Wall Station (长城站) are backed by decades of pioneering and hard work by generations of people.
Once, the Chinese delegation participated in the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, but was unable to participate in the voting because it had not established a research station. The lack of voice in Antarctic affairs filled the participating representatives with unwillingness and further strengthened their determination to achieve a "from 0 to 1" breakthrough.
From the "Xiangyanghong 10 (向阳红10)" and "J121 (J121)" ships' initial expeditions to Antarctica, to the "Shuanglong Exploring the Poles (双龙探极)" breaking the ice and moving forward; from the early simple container houses to the now fully functional modern scientific research stations... For more than 40 years of polar exploration, China's Antarctic exploration has formed a pattern of "five stations, two ships, and one base," entering an era of three-dimensional development of sea, land, and air. The Chinese people's footsteps of self-reliance and self-improvement have continuously deepened from the edge of Antarctica, and the scope of activities and scientific research fields have continued to expand. This icy and snowy land has witnessed the Chinese people's unyielding spirit, pioneering spirit, and resilience in overcoming difficulties.
The blizzard will eventually stop, and moving stories will continue to write new chapters. Friendly, open, and inclusive minds, a spirit of not fearing difficulties and striving for excellence – these spiritual qualities are the most valuable assets of a country and a nation at any time. Yesterday, it supported us in withstanding the test of wind and rain; today, it shines in Antarctica, brightening the name card of a major country; tomorrow, it will surely continue to shine in every step we take to forge ahead.

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Let audits "grow teeth" to safeguard and empower the economy.

By: 齐志明

Promoting high-quality development, auditing work, known as the economic supervision "special forces," undoubtedly has a special and important role.

The recently released 2024 audit rectification report shows that as of the end of September 2025, 98% of the 2,186 problems requiring immediate rectification in the 2024 audit work report have been rectified. Relevant local governments, departments, and units have rectified problems involving a total of 1.04 trillion yuan, achieving solid results in audit rectification and resolving some systemic and institutional issues that were unfavorable to high-quality economic development.

The authority and efficiency of audit supervision are not only reflected in leaving no dead ends in identifying problems, but also in striving for practical results in rectification and accountability; not only in improving the quantity and efficiency of problem-solving, but also in forming closed-loop management at the level of system construction and accountability. It not only promotes the implementation of major national decisions and safeguards the efficient use of public funds, but also provides early warning of economic risks and maintains a fair market environment, fully demonstrating the role of auditing as a "loyal guardian" of the healthy operation of the national economy and society.

The basic role of audit supervision is "checking accounts." Regarding issues such as collecting "excessive taxes and fees," tax authorities in 28 provinces and cities have rectified 33.189 billion yuan of over-collected or prematurely collected taxes, fees, and late payment fees by processing tax refunds and offsets, and guiding enterprises to correct their declarations; the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) has jointly improved the implementation plans for "two major" and "two new" areas with relevant departments, while urging local governments to recover some of the misappropriated funds and reduce the funding scale for relevant local governments in 2025... According to the 2024 audit rectification report, the use of trillions of yuan in funds has been standardized, effectively safeguarding the state's financial "purse" and avoiding idle and wasted resources.

The constructive role of audit supervision is reflected in coordinating "treating existing illnesses" and "preventing future illnesses." In addition to carrying out "carpet-style investigations" and implementing "targeted supervision," auditing also pays special attention to institutional loopholes or shortcomings. In 2024, audit rectification work promoted the formulation and improvement of more than 1,090 systems, tightening the cage of systems. Adhering to both short-term and long-term solutions, and closely integrating audit findings with system improvement and policy optimization, is an important way to promote the modernization of the governance system and governance capabilities.

The secret to why audit supervision has become more authoritative and efficient in the new era lies in strengthening accountability. In 2024, audit rectification work dealt with more than 3,420 people, forming a strong deterrent effect, clearly conveying the rigidity and seriousness of audit supervision, and demonstrating the determination of the Party and the state to regulate the exercise of power and maintain financial discipline. Power comes with responsibility, and those who fail in their duties will be held accountable. With greater penetration and deterrence, promoting all regions and departments to implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, audit supervision will provide a solid guarantee for high-quality development.

The year 2026 is the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." Ensuring a good start for the "15th Five-Year Plan" is inseparable from the escort, empowerment, and early warning of high-quality audit supervision. Promoting the cleanup of investment promotion policies, severely investigating and dealing with arbitrary charges against enterprises, promoting enterprise reform and reorganization, and standardizing management... By further improving the quality and efficiency of supervision, auditing will surely make greater contributions to ensuring the stable and healthy operation of the economy and society.

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Photo Report

Not long ago, the number of passengers traveling between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao via the Zhuhai highway port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge exceeded 100 million. In recent years, policies such as "Macao vehicles heading north" ("澳車北上"), "Hong Kong vehicles heading north" ("港車北上"), and "Guangdong vehicles heading south" ("粤車南下") have been implemented successively. The bridge has also witnessed the accelerated integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area: it took more than 5 years to exceed the first 50 million passengers, and only 1 year and 8 months to exceed the second 50 million passengers. This "dream bridge, concentric bridge, confidence bridge, and rejuvenation bridge" is becoming a vivid portrayal of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao working together, moving forward together, and prospering together.

This is precisely:

A rainbow lying across the Lingdingyang (伶仃洋),
Goods flow smoothly, people rush about.
Connecting the three places from south to north,
The Greater Bay Area spreads its wings and soars through the sky.

By Yang Yuwen (杨羽文)

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Forcefully Crack Down on Rumors, Stabilize Businesses and Benefit Enterprises (Horizontally and Vertically)

By: 吴 迪

Fabricating false information such as "investors withdrawing capital," concocting "huge fines" for financial enterprises, and diverting traffic to profit by discrediting the quality of real estate projects... In 2025, the Shanghai Xuhui police (上海徐汇警方) continued to increase efforts to combat and rectify enterprise-related rumors, investigated and dealt with a number of cases, and earnestly implemented measures to stabilize and benefit businesses.

Enterprise-related rumors have some common characteristics: strong targeting, aiming at specific enterprises, and launching attacks using carefully crafted rhetoric; strong organization, with the generation and dissemination of rumors showing characteristics such as large scale, concentrated time, and unified rhythm; strong lethality, using algorithm recommendations and matrix-style dissemination, which can form huge public opinion pressure in a short period of time, leading to serious consequences such as fluctuations in corporate market value and loss of orders. These behaviors have extremely strong subjective malice, often with behind-the-scenes manipulators, with the aim of seeking improper benefits. For example, threatening enterprises in the name of "supervision" and extorting money; deliberately creating rumors to exploit well-known enterprises or entrepreneurs in order to attract attention and earn traffic.

The capital market has a strong information sensitivity. Fabricating and spreading false information involving enterprises affects the normal operation of enterprises, damages the business environment, disrupts market order, affects economic and social stability, and has huge hazards.

In order to effectively govern the chaos of enterprise-related rumors and "hurting enterprises with a keystroke," relevant parties have taken many effective measures. For example, in May 2025, the Cyberspace Administration of China (中央网信办) launched a special action called "Qinglang (清朗) · Optimizing the Online Business Environment - Rectifying Online 'Black Mouths' Involving Enterprises," focusing on safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and entrepreneurs. For example, the newly revised Anti-Unfair Competition Law clearly stipulates that if an operator fabricates, disseminates, or instructs others to fabricate or disseminate false or misleading information that damages the commercial reputation or commodity reputation of other operators, they will face a fine of up to 5 million yuan. The Supreme People's Court (最高法) has also issued documents clarifying that it will protect the personality rights of private enterprises and entrepreneurs in accordance with the law, and severely crack down on tortious acts such as defamation, disparagement, and uglification of private enterprises and entrepreneurs.

To rectify enterprise-related rumors, it is still necessary to continuously enrich the "toolbox" and upgrade governance methods. In judicial practice, special attention should be paid to combating organized and long-term extortion crimes. For enterprises, they should improve public opinion monitoring and crisis public relations systems, and enhance the awareness and ability of full-chain evidence collection and dissemination traceability.

Recently, continuously optimizing the business environment and protecting the innovation enthusiasm of enterprises have become the focus of attention in many places. Protecting the vitality and creativity of enterprises and creating a good online public opinion environment are also inherent requirements for optimizing the business environment. It is expected that more places can effectively combat enterprise-related rumors, implement various policies to stabilize and benefit businesses, and create a healthy and clear environment for the majority of enterprises to concentrate on their careers and focus on development.

(Excerpted and compiled from *Workers' Daily* (《工人日报》), originally titled "Continuously Crack Down on Enterprise-Related Rumors, and Earnestly Implement Measures to Stabilize and Benefit Businesses")

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Earnest work and dedication overcome all difficulties (Everyone's Talk)

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Leading cadres should be brave in taking responsibility, holding their positions, seeking their administration, fulfilling their responsibilities, and actively taking on heavy and difficult tasks within their scope of duties." Thousands of difficulties and ten thousands of difficulties, daring to take responsibility is not difficult; big roads and small roads, only practical work and hard work can lead to a way out. In this issue of "Everyone Talks," we have selected three articles focusing on practical work and responsibility, to think together about how to make responsibility a conscious act.
——Editor

Resolutely Overcoming Three Bad Mentalities
Huang Chun (黄纯), Lu'an City, Anhui Province (安徽省六安市)

Only with a correct mentality can one be in the right state. To do a good job in connecting with and serving the masses, one must resolutely overcome three bad mentalities.

Resolutely overcome the "only superiors" mentality. What kind of services everyone needs, and how effective the services are, the masses know best and have the most say. If one "is not afraid of the masses being dissatisfied, but only afraid that the leaders will not notice," not only will one not do things well, but one may also ruin things. Only by adhering to the unity of being responsible to superiors and being responsible to subordinates can one achieve practical results and effectiveness.

Resolutely overcome the mentality of fearing difficulties. Grassroots services are complex and varied, and the needs of the masses are diverse, so it is inevitable to encounter difficult problems. The more one faces thorny problems, the more one must not have a mentality of fearing difficulties, and even more so, one must not adopt a negative attitude. Only by directly facing difficult problems and tackling them bit by bit can the masses feel warmth in the changes.

Resolutely overcome the impetuous mentality. Carrying out grassroots services, the value lies in being practical, the difficulty lies in being practical, and the success also lies in being practical. If one puts the main energy on making account books and finding highlights, while ignoring practical matters concerning people's livelihoods and going around difficulties, the work will deviate. Only by calming down and throwing oneself into the work, "doing everything meticulously" and being good at taking action, can the work be effective.

Serving the masses starts in the heart and is put into practice. Correcting the mentality and improving the state are inevitable requirements for fulfilling one's duties.

Getting "Difficult Things" Done Well
Guo Xu (郭旭), Donghai County, Jiangsu Province (江苏省东海县)

During a visit to the countryside, I heard a fellow villager complain: "When going to the town to handle affairs, before I could finish speaking, the cadre waved his hand repeatedly, saying, 'This can't be done.'" This kind of statement easily hurts the feelings of the masses and widens the distance between cadres and the masses.

Serving the people is not a multiple-choice question, but a mandatory question. Some matters of the masses are historical problems, some involve different departments, and some require cross-regional collaboration, so there are indeed some "not so easy to handle." But the more difficult things are, the more one must advance in the face of difficulties. This requires us not to use "can't be done" as an excuse, not to use "not my responsibility" as a shield, but to actively think of ways and take the initiative to find solutions.

Having the heart to solve problems also requires the ability to succeed. One must be good at learning, thinking, and acting, turning "can't be done" into "let's try," and "not my responsibility" into "jointly solve." Getting "difficult things" done well not only brings about improved ability, but also the satisfaction of the masses.

Let "Next Step" Become a New Level
Yang Liu (洋柳), Neijiang City, Sichuan Province (四川省内江市)

In the year-end work summary, "next step" is a common word. However, some "next steps" have no substantial changes compared with the past. It is worth being vigilant about situations where problems are raised every year and requirements are repeatedly mentioned, but no progress is made.

"Next step" is the direction of effort and also the focus of work. If one regards "next step" as a perfunctory statement, it is easy to leave the work hanging in the air and become an empty promise. Such formalism will greatly damage the image of party members and cadres and the credibility of the government.

What is said must be done, and what is done must be done well. To let the "next step" reach a new level, the key is to clarify the construction plan, timetable, and responsibility list, and strive to make the implementation path clear and specific, the indicators quantifiable and assessable, and the responsibilities clearly assigned to departments and individuals. At the same time, it is necessary to make good use of the assessment baton, strengthen supervision and accountability, track the completion of work to the end, so that the practice of implementing slogans, statements, and packaging has no market, and let those who work hard stand out.

The "next step" must see action and see results. Abandoning the routine of "empty statements," taking each "next step" as a new starting point for progress, and taking one step at a time, can we promote new breakthroughs in development with a new atmosphere and new actions.

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This edition's editors: Liu Tianliang, Li Hongxing, Cui Yan

This edition's email: rmbpl@peopledaily.cn (Please indicate the column name when submitting articles)

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Let More People Appreciate the Charm of Choirs (A Lifetime Devoted to One Thing)

By: 本报记者 王 珏

Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬), female, born in 1945 in Qingdao (青岛), Shandong (山东) Province, is a professor at the China Conservatory of Music (中国音乐学院) and an advisor to the Artistic Expert Committee of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (国家大剧院). She has long been committed to music education practice, making outstanding contributions to the development, popularization, and improvement of music education in China's choral cause. She was awarded the title of Honorary Artist of the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

At the 2025 China Choral Conference, the lights dimmed, and the audience held their breath. In the center of the stage, the 80-year-old famous conductor Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) stood still and raised her hand to signal. Although the old woman was full of white hair, she was still full of energy. Her movements were neat, and with a lift of her hands and a gathering of breath, the audience's applause rang out in the concert hall of the Beijing Art Center (北京艺术中心). Standing on the stage and also on the podium, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) has been active on the front line of China's choral cause for more than 60 years.

"Music gives people strength and calms my heart"

"Music gives people strength and calms my heart." In 1945, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) was born in Qingdao (青岛), Shandong (山东). Influenced by the people around her when she was a child, Wu Lingfen's (吴灵芬) musical talent was revealed early. When she was studying at Qingdao No. 20 Middle School (青岛二十中), she was selected to practice free gymnastics, but she was often attracted by the accompanying piano sound, "When I was somersaulting, I always thought about those drum beats and rhythms."

In 1959, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) was admitted to the middle school affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music (中央音乐学院附中), and was later recommended to the conducting department, becoming the first female disciple of Zheng Xiaoying (郑小瑛), the first female conductor of opera and symphony in New China.

During her university years, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) majored in orchestra and opera conducting. After graduation, she served as a conductor in opera troupes in Beijing (北京), Hebei (河北), and other places, studying Chinese percussion music. In 1983, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) returned to the Central Conservatory of Music (中央音乐学院) to teach, and conducted the Chinese premiere of "The Marriage of Figaro," which was a great success. These achievements also made her realize that there were still problems that had not been solved: "It took 8 months to rehearse this work. I found that our ability to read music and the level of basic music education still need to be improved."

Three years later, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) got an opportunity to study in the Soviet Union. In Moscow (莫斯科), she and her team completed the conducting, rehearsal, and performance of the opera "La Traviata" in just 5 days. Under the influence of the team, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) became interested in choral conducting.

At that time, she often went to the Bolshoi Theatre (苏联大剧院) to watch choral rehearsals. She witnessed the highly professional choral rehearsal system in the Soviet Union, "They could sing after looking at the score, with good pitch and a majestic momentum." After some consideration, she called Wu Zuqiang (吴祖强), then the president of the Central Conservatory of Music (中央音乐学院): "I want to change to study choral conducting."

At that time, choral performance was not well known to the public. After Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) decided to do choral music, she entered the choral conducting department of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory (柴可夫斯基音乐学院) to study.

After returning to China, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) devoted herself to the teaching and research of choral conducting. In 1998, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) was hired by the China Conservatory of Music (中国音乐学院) to create a conducting department that used a choir as a form of conducting teaching, and served as the founding director of the department. She said, "Since the day I became the director of the department, I have rarely cooked at home."

In Wu Lingfen's (吴灵芬) view, choral conducting is an independent and professional art that requires systematic teaching and meticulous training, but this concept was not understood at the time. "Everyone thinks that choral conducting is similar to orchestral conducting, but I think it is completely different - from the course content to the training methods, it must be redesigned," Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) said.

So, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) started from scratch with two piano accompaniment teachers and carefully studied the curriculum system. Their first students were almost all "borrowed" from the education department.

The first problem was the faculty - she couldn't find suitable candidates in the Conservatory of Music (音乐学院), so Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) recruited from the community. She believes that "teaching choral conducting is not just talking on paper. It is useless to just talk about theory. You have to be able to write and arrange." So, she invited professionals with both music theory and practical experience.

The school could not pay the outside teachers she hired, so Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) raised funds through the China Chorus Association (中国合唱协会). She said, "I must hire the best teachers for my students." A few years later, this practice was officially adopted by the Academic Affairs Office because the teaching quality was repeatedly rated as excellent.

In terms of curriculum, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) taught European classics while also letting students learn Chinese classic works. She arranged two evenings a week for students to sing through the published Chinese choral works one by one. She also has a more far-reaching consideration for talent training: requiring senior students to audit the courses of other main teachers, absorb the teaching essence of different teachers, and lay a good foundation for future work.

In 2009, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) was hired as the first choral conductor of the National Centre for the Performing Arts Chorus (国家大剧院职业合唱团), not only completing the team training in the early stage of the group's establishment, but also rehearsing many Chinese and foreign classic masterpieces through a series of concerts, and launching a large number of new national choral works.

During rehearsals, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) always asks her students to write down her gestures and conducting methods. Outside of class, she also requires students to conduct non-professional choirs and test what they have learned in class in practice. She said, "Every student who graduates from me must be able to lead a group, conduct, and teach."

"They are too hardworking, and I also teach desperately"

In addition to doing a good job in professional education, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) also has a goal, which is to strive to "let the whole nation sing and everyone can sing."

In the late 1980s, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) returned to China after finishing her studies abroad, just as the Beijing Municipal Government (北京市政府) launched an art education reform.

An improvement plan for primary and secondary school music teachers was launched. The government allocated funds to support it, requiring participating teachers to listen to at least two concerts per month. Every Friday morning, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) would teach these teachers, teaching them to read music and beat time, and analyze the repertoire. In addition, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) and other teachers entered primary and secondary schools in the urban area to provide music guidance for choirs.

In 1990, in response to the call of the Municipal Education Bureau (市教育局), Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) came to Yanqing (延庆), Beijing (北京), and started the "pioneering" of basic music education. At that time, Yanqing (延庆) was short of music education resources, and many schools did not even have full-time music teachers, let alone musical instruments.

Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) recalled that it was the most difficult to go to class in winter. "At that time, the education department of Yanqing (延庆) would borrow a jeep every Sunday night to pick us up. I wrapped myself in two military coats and bumped for 3 hours to get there."

At first, she taught a school step by step, but the teachers had a weak foundation, so she took the initiative to find the leaders of the county party committee and said, "Please help me gather teachers from different schools, as long as they can sing 'Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China' (《没有共产党就没有新中国》)." Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) believes that teaching a good group of choral conductors and teachers will allow choral music to take root.

So, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) took in physical education, foreign language, and physics teachers, and encouraged them to switch to the "reserve force" of music teachers. Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) started teaching from nursery rhymes, using simple rhythms and tones to lead the teachers into the door. A teacher from Kangzhuang Town (康庄镇) sold 3 pigs to buy an electronic organ and studied hard with all his heart. Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) said, "They are too hardworking, and I also teach desperately." Three years later, primary and secondary schools in Yanqing (延庆) basically achieved the popularization of music teachers.

"There are still many things to do, I can't stop"

From the initial "learning by reference" to the current "being referenced," Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) has personally witnessed the development of Chinese choral music from its beginning to the world.

Over the decades, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) has taken Chinese works to the United States, Germany, Hungary, Austria, and other places. She not only served as a judge in many international choral competitions, but also devoted herself to introducing Chinese music culture to the world.

In the early 1990s, Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) was invited to the United States to participate in a choral seminar. The organizing committee refused to display Chinese works on the big screen on the grounds that China did not have officially published sheet music.

At that time, when Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) participated in international choral festivals, she found that the Chinese team sang "Half Moon Climbing Up" (《半个月亮爬上来》) and "Lift Your Veil" (《掀起你的盖头来》) almost every time... Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) made up her mind that Chinese choral music must sing out "Chinese flavor."

"There are tens of thousands of folk songs in Shanxi (山西) alone, and many have not been recorded." Wu Lingfen (吴灵芬) always insisted on singing "local" - she successively organized student choirs to visit France (法国) and Austria (奥地利), and encouraged young composers to adapt folk songs from Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), Yunnan (云南), and other places into choral pieces.

She also found that many young composers had never been in a choir, and the songs they wrote were illogical. So, she formed a choir and let people in the school who loved music form a trial singing team. Gradually, in international competitions, more and more international judges began to actively collect Chinese choral works, and some even took the initiative to ask for scores and take them back to rehearse and perform.

Now, in her 80s, she is still running around for the music industry. She bluntly said: "I still have many things to do, I can't stop." Looking forward to the future of Chinese choral music, she hopes that the country can take another step forward in basic music education, "**创造更好的音乐环境** (chuàng zào gèng hǎo de yīn yuè huán jìng - "create better music environment," to foster a more conducive atmosphere for musical development), so that more people can appreciate the charm of choral music."

(Liu Xiaohong (刘潇鸿) participated in the writing)

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China's Lotus Awards for Dance to be Held in Shaanxi: Framework Cooperation Agreement Signing Ceremony Held in Beijing

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 19th. On January 19th, the signing ceremony of the "Framework Cooperation Agreement between the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government on the Landing and Hosting of the Chinese Dance Lotus Awards in Shaanxi and the Joint Creation of a National-Level Dance Art Center" was held at the China Literature and Art Workers' Home. Tie Ning (铁凝), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (中国文联), attended the ceremony.

The two sides held a discussion on studying and implementing Xi Jinping's (习近平) cultural thought, jointly promoting the construction of national-level platforms, the cultivation of high-level talents, the creation of major themes, the creation of distinctive brands, and the promotion of cultural undertakings and cultural industry development. The two sides will take the landing and hosting of the Chinese Dance Lotus Awards in Shaanxi Province (陕西省) as an opportunity to continuously promote the two-way empowerment of literature and art and local economic and social development, so that the results of the awards can more widely benefit the people and more effectively serve the society, and jointly shoulder the mission and responsibility of promoting cultural inheritance and the prosperity and development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

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Provide strong judicial guarantees for a good start to the "15th Five-Year Plan"

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 19th: On January 19th, the National Higher People's Court Presidents Conference was held. Zhang Jun (张军), Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and President of the Supreme People's Court (最高人民法院), attended the meeting and delivered a speech, pointing out that it is always necessary to adhere to Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, deeply study and implement Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on the Rule of Law, closely focus on the two "greater emphasis," strictly and impartially administer justice, continuously improve quality and efficiency, and provide strong judicial guarantees for achieving a good start to the "15th Five-Year Plan."

The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to implement the Party's absolute leadership, and grasp the correct political direction of judicial trial work. It is necessary to severely punish serious crimes in accordance with the law, strengthen the prevention and resolution of contradictions and disputes, and maintain national security and social stability. It is necessary to regulate market order in accordance with the law, strengthen judicial protection of intellectual property rights, enhance the ability of foreign-related trials, and promote the construction of a law-based economy and a credit economy. It is necessary to earnestly implement "as if I were the litigant" (如我在诉), maintain social fairness and justice, and protect people's livelihood and well-being. It is necessary to strengthen supervision and management, regulate the operation of judicial power, and ensure that judicial justice can be realized, truly felt, and well-received.

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Deepen and Solidify the High-Quality and Efficient Handling of Every Case, and Better Fulfill the Duties of the National Legal Supervision Authority

Beijing, January 19th (Reporter Ni Yi (倪弋)) The Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (最高人民检察院), Ying Yong (应勇), emphasized at the National Procurators Conference on the 19th that it is necessary to adhere to the primary responsibility and main business of legal supervision, the essential origin of high-quality and efficient case handling, establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, deepen and substantively handle each case with high quality and efficiency, continuously promote the procuratorial practice of Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on the Rule of Law, better fulfill the duties of the national legal supervision organ, and provide strong judicial guarantees for achieving a good start to the "15th Five-Year Plan."

Ying Yong (应勇) pointed out that it is necessary to adhere to the Party's absolute leadership over procuratorial work and resolutely safeguard the authority and centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. Adhere to the overall national security concept, resolutely safeguard national political security and social stability, continue to substantively implement procuratorial work for the people, and serve the high-quality economic and social development with the power of the rule of law. Lawfully perform legal supervision duties, focus on resolving prominent law enforcement and judicial issues, and promote fairness and justice; construct a high-quality and efficient case-handling system and mechanism, and comprehensively improve the quality and efficiency of legal supervision. Deepen the comprehensive and strict governance of the procuratorate, and forge a loyal, clean, and responsible procuratorial iron army.

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This year's focus is on regularizing the correction of prominent law enforcement issues.

This newspaper Beijing (北京), January 19th (Reporter Zhang Cong (张璁)) It was learned from the National Department (Bureau) Chief Conference of Justice held in Beijing (北京) on the 19th that: In 2025, the Ministry of Justice (司法部) took the lead in organizing a special campaign to regulate administrative law enforcement involving enterprises, effectively correcting prominent problems such as the "four irregularities." The total number of national administrative inspections involving enterprises decreased by 33%, and the average proportion of problems found increased by 18.5 percentage points.

It is understood that in 2025, judicial and administrative organs served the overall situation accurately and effectively. Strengthen government legislation, coordinate the advancement of establishment, amendment, repeal, and interpretation, improve the quality and efficiency of the revision and improvement of laws and regulations in key areas, emerging areas, and foreign-related areas. Last year, the review of 53 laws and regulations was completed. Reviewed 2,508 regulations and rules, maintaining the national legal unity. In addition, efforts were stepped up to improve the quality and efficiency of administrative reconsideration, handling 1.115 million cases, with more than 90% being resolved substantially. In 2025, judicial and administrative organs deepened the construction of a public legal service system, handling more than 40 million legal service businesses of various types nationwide. In 2026, the Ministry of Justice (司法部) will focus on normalizing the correction of prominent law enforcement problems and promote the standardized construction of administrative law enforcement.

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Capturing Fleeting "Deep-Sea Light" (Innovation Story)

By: 徐东莲

On humanity's journey of gazing at the stars and exploring the ultimate mysteries of the universe, we are dedicated to detecting the "ghost particles" in the universe—neutrinos. They hardly interact with matter, carrying the secrets of the deepest parts of the universe, traveling billions of light-years to reach us. To capture these particles, our gaze has shifted from the distant depths of the universe to the deep ocean.

To capture these nearly "invisible" neutrinos, a massive, pure, and dark environment detector is needed. The waters below 3,000 meters in the South China Sea, with their good water quality, near-complete darkness, and natural shielding, are an ideal location for building a giant neutrino telescope.

The core concept of the "Ocean Bell Project" ("海铃计划") is to deploy a three-dimensional array of tens of thousands of highly sensitive optical sensors in the depths of the South China Sea, forming a "deep-sea telescope" with a volume of several cubic kilometers, like a string of "wind chimes" standing in the deep sea. When neutrinos pass through these strings of "wind chimes" and rarely interact with the nuclei of atoms in seawater, they produce a faint blue light called "Cherenkov radiation." Our mission is to develop, deploy, and operate this precise detection array to capture this fleeting "deep-sea light" in the darkness, thereby inferring the energy and direction of the neutrinos.

This is a systematic project integrating particle physics, marine engineering, information science, and other multidisciplinary challenges. Each glass sphere (optical module) must withstand pressures exceeding 350 atmospheres and ensure long-term stable operation in the low-temperature, highly corrosive environment of the deep sea. Maintaining synchronization of tens of thousands of nodes with picosecond-level precision clocks, long-distance deep-sea data transmission, and extracting extremely weak signals from background noise are all significant tests of precision detector technology and deep-sea engineering implementation.

I went abroad to pursue a doctorate in 2008 and returned to China in 2018 to form a team and launch the "Ocean Bell Project." My years of accumulated research in neutrino astronomy, as well as the country's high regard and continuous investment in basic research and deep-sea exploration, gave me the courage to challenge the deep and unknown ocean.

To date, the team has completed technological innovations and achieved phased breakthroughs in core detector development, in-situ environmental measurement, data acquisition, and deep-sea precision deployment system development, laying the engineering foundation for the successful implementation of the "Ocean Bell Project." The team is going all out to prepare for the first phase of the "Ocean Bell Project" construction and sea trials in 2026. We have established a close collaborative mechanism with top domestic marine research institutions, high-performance computing centers, and related universities, striving to enable the Ocean Bell Neutrino Telescope to "hear" neutrino signals as soon as possible.

Looking ahead to the "15th Five-Year Plan," large-scale deep-sea neutrino telescopes are one of the strategic high grounds of international cutting-edge basic science and a historic opportunity for China's neutrino astronomy field to go from following to leading. I believe that through deep interdisciplinary integration, our team of scientists will build and operate a neutrino telescope shared by all of humanity in this deep blue sea.

(The author is a tenured scholar at the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute (李政道研究所) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (上海交通大学). This article was compiled and edited by Huang Xiaohui (黄晓慧), a reporter from this newspaper.)

Reporter's Notes

Illuminating the Scientific Process with a Belief in Truth

Walking into the Tianwen Hall (天问大厅) of the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute (李政道研究所) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (上海交通大学), looking up, there is a transparent glass roof above. Under the azure sky, spiraling upwards along the 40-meter-diameter spherical atrium slope, a 600-meter-long "Tianwen" scroll showcases humanity's journey of exploring the origin of the universe. It includes both the magnificence of the moment of cosmic creation and humanity's reflections and discoveries on the laws of cosmic evolution.

This "scroll" was jointly created by all the scientists at the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute (李政道研究所) after 33 meetings and several months of discussion. It is under this starry sky, where the beauty of science is explored and fantastic imaginations are nurtured, that Xu Donglian (徐东莲) and her "Ocean Bell Project" ("海铃计划") team of scientists proposed a scientific plan to explore the mysteries of the universe in the deep sea. This is a scientific vision for the future belonging to Chinese scientists.

In the interview, Xu Donglian (徐东莲) said that the unknown of the universe is full of charm, and what she is doing is to explore and reveal these unknowns. Although this process is arduous, it is full of fun. Today, on the journey of striving forward in the "15th Five-Year Plan," there are more and more Chinese scientists like Xu Donglian (徐东莲) who are expanding the boundaries of knowledge and illuminating the progress of scientific civilization with a belief in truth.

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Photo Report

In recent days, Jilin City (吉林市), Jilin Province (吉林省) has welcomed several rime ice landscapes. Mist curls over the Songhua River (松花江), willow trees on both banks form silver flowers, and pine trees bloom with silver chrysanthemums, resembling a beautiful and captivating ink painting. The picture shows the Ashihada Rime Ice Scenic Belt (阿什哈达雾凇观赏带) in Jilin City (吉林市) on January 17th.

Photo by Li Yang (李洋) (Image China)

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Shanxi Produced a Cumulative 6.5 Billion Tons of Coal During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period

This newspaper Taiyuan (太原) January 19th (Reporter Ma Ruishan (马睿姗)) reported: The reporter learned from the 2026 work conference of the Shanxi Bureau (山西局) of the National Mine Safety Administration (国家矿山安全监察局) held on January 17th: In 2025, Shanxi's (山西) coal production exceeded 1.3 billion tons. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Shanxi's (山西) coal production was 6.5 billion tons, an increase of 1.9 billion tons compared with the "13th Five-Year Plan" period.

In recent years, Shanxi (山西) has made preventing and curbing major and serious accidents a top priority, focusing on eliminating various safety hazards, and the number of coal mine accidents has decreased for four consecutive years. On the one hand, it promotes the quality and efficiency improvement of coal mines, and the scale of single-well coal mines has increased from 1.5 million tons/year to 1.66 million tons/year; on the other hand, it empowers safe production through scientific and technological innovation, and has built a total of 400 intelligent coal mines, with advanced coal mine capacity accounting for 83%.

It is understood that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Shanxi's (山西) mineral resource development will accelerate towards large mining depths, large scales, and multi-mineral species mining. By moving the gate forward and implementing systematic treatment, with prior prevention as the main line to guide mine safety work, it will coordinate the stable production and supply of coal, and the bottom-line peak regulation of coal power, and maintain a stable supply of coal.

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USTC Solves Interface Problem in All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries with Low-Cost Solution

This newspaper Hefei (合肥) January 19th (Reporter Xu Jing (徐靖)) Professor Ma Cheng (马骋) of the University of Science and Technology of China, aiming at the problem that all-solid-state lithium batteries rely too much on external pressure to maintain good interface contact during cycling, making them difficult to apply in practice, proposed a low-cost and relatively suitable commercial solution. Recently, the achievement was published in the internationally renowned academic journal "Nature Communications."

All-solid-state lithium batteries are expected to break the bottleneck that current liquid lithium-ion batteries cannot balance high safety and high energy density. However, since the electrolyte and electrodes of all-solid-state lithium batteries are solid, the two often have to maintain good interface contact under external pressure of tens or even hundreds of megapascals, while such high pressure is almost impossible to achieve in actual scenarios.

The key to solving this problem is to find a solid electrolyte that can effectively change its shape even under low pressure, thereby maintaining close contact with the constantly changing volume of the electrode material. In this study, Ma Cheng (马骋) developed a new type of solid electrolyte—lithium zirconium aluminum chloride oxide, which achieved the above performance.

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Kang Yan, Liu Juanxi, Wang Bo

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Why Wuhan is Gaining Favor with Foreign Investment (Big Data Observation: Investing in China)

By: 本报记者 范昊天

As a differentiated technology provider in the global automotive industry, Garrett's Wuhan Innovation Center went into operation last year in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (东湖新技术开发区) in Wuhan (武汉), Hubei (湖北). Since first establishing a factory in Wuhan (武汉) in 2012, Garrett has increased its investment in the area for the third time, deeply integrating into Hubei's (湖北) industrial ecosystem of "complete vehicles - core components - key technologies."

To date, Wuhan (武汉) has established over 9,000 foreign-invested legal entities, with 311 of the world's top 500 companies investing there. In 2025, Wuhan (武汉) newly established 428 foreign-invested enterprises, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%, with foreign investment in high-tech industries accounting for 55.4%.

For many years, what has Wuhan (武汉) relied on to win the favor of foreign-funded enterprises? Recently, reporters visited a number of foreign companies to explore Wuhan's (武汉) "magnetic attraction" to foreign investment.

Investment Policy Optimization
Improve foreign investment services and create a gathering area for small and medium-sized foreign-funded enterprises.

Not long ago, Amberg Technologies (安伯格技术), a Swiss company, opened its wholly-owned subsidiary, Amberg Technologies (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (安伯格技术（武汉）有限公司), in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (东湖新技术开发区) in Wuhan (武汉). "We have finally taken root in China. Previously, we did not have a subsidiary in China, and many ideas were difficult to implement," said Müller (穆勒), CEO of Amberg Technologies (安伯格技术). A year ago, the company decided to establish its Asia-Pacific headquarters in China, and the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (东湖新技术开发区) in Wuhan (武汉), known as "Optics Valley of China," became one of the options.

In addition to the excellent location and talent advantages of being a thoroughfare connecting nine provinces and having numerous universities, what made Amberg (安伯格) determined was the warm policies and attentive services of the local government departments.

"As soon as we learned that we had the idea of building a subsidiary, the Wuhan Investment Promotion Bureau (武汉市投资促进局) took the initiative to connect with us, arranged visits to industrial parks, and organized a delegation to visit the company to help us understand the Chinese market," Müller (穆勒) said. The East Lake High-tech Development Zone (东湖新技术开发区) in Wuhan (武汉) also actively assisted the company in connecting with banks to solve problems such as opening accounts for foreign employees; and repeatedly took them to visit office buildings and business districts, and recommended local customs brokers and other services in detail.

In the process of settling down, the differences between Chinese and Swiss standards brought some difficulties. For example, when signing documents externally in China, the unit must affix an official seal. In Switzerland, many documents can be signed by an authorized person, which made it difficult for the company's foreign team to understand for a while. "The staff of the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (东湖新技术开发区) provided timely assistance, patiently explained the domestic process, and guided us step by step to carry out company registration and other work," said Mao Junyu (毛君瑜), general manager of Amberg Technologies (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (安伯格技术（武汉）有限公司). In just three months, the company not only successfully settled down, but also completed the transfer of Swiss business to Optics Valley (光谷).

In order to serve foreign-funded enterprises well, Optics Valley (光谷) issued the "Ten Foreign Investment Articles" as early as 2017, offering a package of support programs from 10 aspects such as access, settlement, research and development, and rent. In the past 9 years, the "Ten Foreign Investment Articles" have been continuously upgraded, adding clauses such as "encouraging green and low-carbon," "improving foreign investment services," and "creating a gathering area for small and medium-sized foreign-funded enterprises"... At present, the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (东湖新技术开发区) has gathered nearly 1,400 foreign-funded enterprises, including nearly 100 of the world's top 500 companies.

"As the world's largest optical communication R&D base, Optics Valley (光谷) has gathered more than 300 optoelectronic enterprises, and Amberg (安伯格) is highly compatible with the industrial advantages here," Mao Junyu (毛君瑜) introduced. From R&D partners, technical service support, parts procurement to import and export business, the company has developed nearly 20 strategic partners in Optics Valley (光谷).

Innovation Capability Upgrade
Focus on cutting-edge fields and move towards the source of technological change.

On the automated headlight production line, robotic arms danced flexibly, and handling robots shuttled back and forth. In the intelligent factory of Valeo Automotive Lighting (China) Co., Ltd. (法雷奥市光（中国）车灯有限公司) in the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (武汉经济技术开发区), after continuous operations such as pre-assembly, plasma flame treatment, and gluing, a headlight comes off the line in just 36 seconds.

"As early as 1995, Valeo (法雷奥) established its first headlight factory in the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (武汉经济技术开发区), with processes such as injection molding, coating, and final assembly," said Xiao Yuan (肖媛), Valeo's (法雷奥) production system manager. Over the past 30 years, from the initial manual operation to the introduction of new technologies and equipment such as sensors, robots, and elevators, the factory's production efficiency has been continuously improved, and nearly 4 million headlights are shipped from here to all over the world every year.

Known as "China Auto Valley," the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (武汉经济技术开发区) was built because of the Sino-French joint venture of 300,000 cars. Over the past 30 years, it has gathered nearly 500 foreign-funded enterprises and has become one of the most densely populated areas of foreign-funded enterprises in Hubei Province (湖北省). In recent years, the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (武汉经济技术开发区) has made breakthrough developments in new energy and intelligent connected vehicles, placing auto parts in an equally important position as complete vehicles, and creating a more resilient auto industry chain supply chain.

Following the pace of transformation and upgrading of the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (武汉经济技术开发区), Valeo (法雷奥) has continued to increase investment and expand production here. In recent years, it has also located its global software technology center and the world's largest R&D center here, and its output value has increased significantly.

"In the past, we used low-cost advantages to lay out the manufacturing end in Wuhan (武汉), and almost all core management and technical personnel were French expatriate executives. Today, many Chinese people have taken up management and technical positions, and all advanced equipment can be developed in Wuhan (武汉), and reverse output technology to Europe and the United States," said Zhang Feng (张锋), president of Valeo Lighting China (法雷奥照明中国区). The company has driven the development of 33 local suppliers, 8 of which have come to Hubei (湖北) to invest and build factories with the business expansion of Valeo (法雷奥).

In recent years, a number of internationally renowned auto parts companies such as ZF (采埃孚) from Germany, Aptiv (安波福) from Ireland, Effi (艾菲) from France, Autoliv (奥托立夫) from Sweden, and Visteon (伟世通) from the United States have established global R&D centers in Wuhan (武汉), involving cutting-edge fields such as unmanned driving and automotive chips. Wuhan (武汉) is becoming one of the sources of global automotive technology change.

Improved Service Guarantee
Establish a normalized communication channel and fully empower the innovative development of enterprises throughout the cycle.

"For more than 10 years, Garrett (盖瑞特) has always regarded Wuhan (武汉) as our second hometown in China," said Zhang Yue (张越), Global Vice President and General Manager of China of Garrett (盖瑞特). The Wuhan Innovation Center (武汉创新中心) will continue to enhance the company's global technology layout capabilities, consolidate its differentiated technology advantages, and will continue to increase strategic investment in the future, deeply integrating into the construction of Hubei's (湖北) automotive industry ecosystem.

Headquartered in Rolle (罗尔), Switzerland, the Garrett Group (盖瑞特集团) has extensive experience in turbocharging technology, and its products are widely used in passenger cars, commercial vehicles, construction machinery, ships, generators and other fields. Since settling in Wuhan (武汉) in 2012, the first phase of the factory has developed rapidly. After the second phase of expansion, it has introduced high-speed production lines and full-process tracking systems and other cutting-edge technologies to promote intelligent production, and the factory's production capacity has achieved a compound annual growth rate of more than 30%.

In the process of the company's development and growth, the Wuhan (武汉) municipal and district governments have provided Garrett (盖瑞特) with full-cycle precise services. "From the special docking mechanism in the early stage of the project to the overall planning of key resources in the expansion stage, the government is guided by the needs of enterprises, establishes a normalized communication channel, and ensures that various support policies are accurately implemented," Zhang Yue (张越) said.

Garrett's (盖瑞特) precision manufacturing production line needs to operate continuously 7×24 hours, and the government departments coordinated the power supply company to customize a "dual power supply" power supply solution for the factory; in recent years, the company has deeply cultivated high-speed electric drive technology for new energy vehicles, and the government has provided continuous support in multiple dimensions such as laboratory technology transformation, scientific research project approval, and R&D investment rewards. At the same time, Optics Valley (光谷) has also established a "one-to-one" science and technology commissioner system to regularly go deep into the front line of enterprise R&D to understand the needs of enterprises in terms of facilities, technology research and talent introduction, and coordinate resources in a timely manner.

Garrett's (盖瑞特) hydrogen fuel cell air compressor has now been applied to leading enterprises in the industry. Since last year, its high-speed electric drive technology and electric cooling compressor technology have been cooperating with related enterprises and are widely used in the field of new energy vehicles.

At present, Wuhan (武汉) has established municipal-level foreign-funded enterprise round table meetings, foreign-funded enterprise service commissioners and other systems to respond to concerns and carry out services in a timely manner; realize the "full online handling" of foreign-funded enterprise registration; foreigners holding permanent residence ID cards can handle enterprise establishment and change registration online; fully implement the "1050" standard for the establishment of foreign-invested enterprises, that is, "1 application, 0.5 days to complete, 0 fees," making foreign investment more convenient.

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Intelligent Technology Boosts China's Auto Industry's "Leapfrog Development"

By: 本报记者 李 刚

Not long ago, the Qijing brand, jointly created by GAC Group (广汽集团) and Huawei Qiankun (华为乾崑), was officially released, and the Yijing brand, jointly created by Dongfeng Group (东风集团) and Huawei Qiankun (华为乾崑), was also officially unveiled. This is another new step taken after the number of active users of Huawei Qiankun (华为乾崑) intelligent driving exceeded 1 million. "The penetration rate of automotive intelligence in China has reached 50% in just 5 years, and the era of intelligent connected vehicles is accelerating," said Jin Yuzhi (靳玉志), CEO of Huawei Intelligent Automotive Solution BU.

Currently, Changan (长安), Dongfeng (东风), BAIC (北汽), GAC (广汽), SAIC (上汽), JAC (江淮), Chery (奇瑞), FAW (一汽) and other automobile companies have reached various forms of cooperation with Huawei (华为).

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that "developing new energy vehicles is the only way for China to move from a large automobile country to a strong automobile country." In recent years, with the rapid development of China's new energy vehicle industry, global competitiveness has continued to improve. Huawei (华为) leverages its profound technological accumulation in communications, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence to promote the "lane change and overtaking" of the domestic automobile industry.

Leveraging Advantages and Adapting to the Trend

In the Chery (奇瑞) Huawei (华为) jointly built Zhijie (智界) Super Factory in Wuhu (芜湖), Anhui (安徽), as the robotic arm completes the welding action, a brand-new Zhijie (智界) new energy vehicle rolls off the production line. This factory deeply integrates AI technology into the entire production process. More than 600 robots in the welding workshop achieve 100% automated collaboration, and 167 robots in the painting workshop complete the entire process of unmanned operation.

In Huawei's (华为) Songshan Lake (松山湖) laboratory in Dongguan (东莞), Guangdong (广东), the range extension system of the XPeng (小鹏) X9 completes silent tuning, achieving industry-leading levels.

In the SAIC-GM-Wuling (上汽通用五菱) production base in Liuzhou (柳州), Guangxi (广西), Huawei (华为) uses intelligent technology to optimize features such as following vehicles in congested urban road sections and pedestrian recognition on rural roads, making intelligent driving more in line with actual road conditions.

With its strong technological research and development strength, diversified cooperation models, advanced process management experience, and open ecological strategy, Huawei (华为) is comprehensively empowering the automotive industry.

Starting in 2010, the global automotive industry opened a window for electrification + intelligent transformation. In 2012, China issued the "Energy-saving and New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2012-2020)", which identified the Internet of Vehicles as a key development direction. Leveraging its advantages in information and communication technology, Huawei (华为) established the Internet of Vehicles Laboratory in 2012, and officially established the Internet of Vehicles Business Unit in 2013 and launched in-vehicle modules. Since 2019, with the wave of electrification, networking, intelligence, and sharing in the automotive industry, Huawei (华为) has formed five major business segments: Qiankun (乾崑) Intelligent Driving, HarmonyOS Cockpit (鸿蒙座舱), Qiankun (乾崑) Vehicle Control, Qiankun (乾崑) Vehicle Optics, and Qiankun (乾崑) Vehicle Cloud, covering the most core technology areas of intelligent vehicles.

"Huawei's (华为) entry into the field of intelligent connected vehicles is not to become a traditional automobile manufacturer, but to become the core technology provider and ecosystem builder in the era of intelligent vehicles," said Jin Yuzhi (靳玉志).

Mutual Empowerment and Mutual Achievement

In 2021, automobile company Seres (赛力斯) faced the pressure of new energy transformation. At that time, Huawei (华为), which held core technologies such as the HarmonyOS Cockpit (鸿蒙座舱) and ADS intelligent driving, also urgently needed a carrier to implement its technology.

The two parties reached a consensus on cooperation. More than 200 Huawei (华为) engineers entered Seres Group (赛力斯集团), and Huawei's (华为) technology system and Seres' (赛力斯) manufacturing capabilities began to deeply integrate.

Huawei (华为) tailored a full-scenario solution for Seres (赛力斯): the HarmonyOS Cockpit (鸿蒙座舱) realizes seamless flow between mobile phones, tablets, and vehicle machines; the ADS intelligent driving system enhances the driver's intelligent experience. Seres' (赛力斯) "AITO (问界)" has successfully gained market recognition, forming a strong "head traction" effect.

In 2024, Seres' (赛力斯) revenue exceeded 145.1 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 305.5%, and its net profit reached 5.9 billion yuan, successfully turning losses into profits from a net loss of 2.4 billion yuan in 2023. In December 2025, Seres' (赛力斯) new energy vehicle sales exceeded 60,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 63%, setting a new record.

The success of Seres' (赛力斯) cooperation with Huawei (华为) has given more traditional automobile companies hope. Traditional automobile companies have strong manufacturing capabilities, mature supply chain systems, and rich experience in complete vehicles; while Huawei (华为) is good at building and rapidly iterating software ecosystems. Through the Harmony Intelligent Travel (鸿蒙智行) technology ecosystem alliance, it outputs advanced processes and digital experience, and empowers partners with technologies such as the "Huawei Turing Platform (华为途灵平台)" and the "Huawei Whale Battery Platform (华为巨鲸电池平台)" to build an open platform, where both parties mutually empower each other and achieve mutual success.

Starting with AITO (问界), the Zhijie (智界), Xiangjie (享界), and Zunjie (尊界) series of "Harmony Intelligent Travel (鸿蒙智行)" followed one after another. In 2025, the Shangjie (尚界) H5 was officially released. The Harmony Intelligent Travel (鸿蒙智行) automobile "Five Realms (五界)" composed of AITO (问界), Zhijie (智界), Xiangjie (享界), Zunjie (尊界), and Shangjie (尚界) covers the entire price range from tens of thousands of yuan to millions of yuan, and includes various models such as SUVs, sedans, and station wagons, forming a complete product system, technology system, and market price system.

On October 28, 2025, Yu Chengdong (余承东), Huawei's (华为) executive director and chairman of the product investment committee, announced that the cumulative delivery volume of all Harmony Intelligent Travel (鸿蒙智行) models exceeded 1 million units, setting a new record for the fastest delivery of new power brands. From product definition and design to core technology applications, from quality process management to full life cycle upgrade and maintenance empowerment, Harmony Intelligent Travel (鸿蒙智行) provides a new paradigm for industry cooperation and brand development.

Riding the Momentum and Driving the Entire Chain

In August 2025, the world's first fuel vehicle equipped with Huawei Qiankun (华为乾崑) intelligent driving, the SAIC Audi (上汽奥迪) A5L Sportback, was officially launched.

Equipping fuel vehicles with Huawei Qiankun (华为乾崑) intelligent driving brought huge challenges to both teams. Initially, the Huawei Qiankun (华为乾崑) intelligent driving team wanted to install lidar on the roof, but it was rejected by the Audi (奥迪) design department, who believed that this would affect the brand's design language and heritage.

The two teams went through a long period of discussion and technical certification, and finally reached a consensus: install two sets of lidar in the front side air intake grille of the car, and specially changed the rectangular lidar to a parallelogram, which not only does not affect the brand's design language and heritage, but also ensures that the performance of Huawei Qiankun (华为乾崑) intelligent driving is not affected.

The world's first Dongfeng Nissan (东风日产) Teana (天籁) HarmonyOS Cockpit (鸿蒙座舱), also equipped with the HarmonyOS Cockpit (鸿蒙座舱), was also launched in November 2025. Through continuous technological innovation, "Made in China (中国智造)" is establishing global competitiveness in the field of high-end manufacturing.

As the number of partners gradually increases, Huawei Qiankun (华为乾崑) has explored various modes of cooperation with automobile companies: component cooperation, single intelligence cooperation, dual intelligence cooperation, and full-stack cooperation, driving the upgrading of the entire supply chain. Data shows that the production of Zunjie (尊界) S800 has driven the upgrading and transformation of 221 component manufacturers in more than 10 provinces; more than 300 domestic industrial chain companies have established cooperative relationships with Huawei's (华为) intelligent automobile business, covering hardware, software, services, and other fields.

"Huawei (华为) has promoted the intelligent transformation of China's automobile industry and helped automobile companies build internationally leading competitiveness," said Liao Bingguang (廖炳光), a researcher at the Institute of Reform and Opening Up and Modernization of the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences (广东省社科院).

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Improve the language and cultural literacy of all citizens

This newspaper Beijing (北京), January 19th (Reporter Wu Yue (吴月)) - Recently, the Ministry of Education (教育部) and seven other departments issued the "Opinions on Deeply Promoting the Inheritance and Development of Outstanding Chinese Language and Culture and Improving the National Language and Culture Literacy."

The opinions propose to focus on implementing the Chinese Classics Recitation Project, vigorously implement the National Language and Culture Literacy Improvement Action, compile readers on outstanding Chinese language and culture and guidelines for language etiquette in the public domain, and carry out in-depth popular education activities. Primary and secondary schools should focus on making good use of the language education elements in curriculum materials, strengthen Putonghua (普通话) and standardized Chinese character writing education, and innovatively carry out special lectures, research and study practices, and display exchanges. Institutions of higher learning should offer public courses such as College Chinese, Chinese Calligraphy, Digital Chinese, Digital Humanities, and Large Language Model Technology, combining the cultivation of students' language and cultural literacy with the improvement of their academic and professional abilities, job and professional literacy, and social adaptability.

In terms of protecting and developing resources, the opinions propose to focus on implementing the Chinese Language Resources Protection Project, improve the National Language Resources Database, and consolidate the foundation for language resource construction. Implement the "Chinese Language Memory" Action, increase the protection of language resources in cultural ecological protection zones, and encourage the establishment of urban and rural language and culture archives. Focus on supporting the construction of the Chinese Language Resources Museum, and encourage qualified localities and units to reasonably utilize cultural relic buildings, industrial heritage, and campus facilities to lay out language resource museums, language and writing museums, language and culture parks, and other language and culture inheritance venues.

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Photo Report

On January 19th, in the Tashan Forest Park (塔山森林公园) of Deqing County (德清县), Huzhou City (湖州市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), wintersweet quietly bloomed, with numerous flowers adorning the branches, and a subtle fragrance permeating the air, attracting tourists to take photos.

Bai Yu (白羽) photographed (Image China)

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Tianjin launches first cross-Caspian Sea China-Central Asia freight train to Baku

This newspaper Tianjin (天津) January 19th (Reporter Jin Bo (靳博)) On the morning of the 19th, a train loaded with stainless steel pipes, home appliances and other goods departed from Tianjin Container Center Station (天津集装箱中心站) amidst a loud whistle. The train will exit through the Horgos (霍尔果斯) port to Aktau (阿克套) port in Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦), and finally be shipped across the Caspian Sea to Baku (巴库), the capital of Azerbaijan (阿塞拜疆). This train is the first Tianjin (天津)-Baku (巴库) trans-Caspian Central Asia train, adding a stable and fast freight channel for Tianjin (天津) to Central Asia and Europe.

Baku (巴库) is an important node in the trans-Caspian International Transport Route. With the opening of the trans-Caspian Central Asia train, goods shipped from Tianjin (天津) to Baku (巴库) can also be distributed to multiple countries and regions such as Turkey (土耳其), further strengthening economic and trade exchanges between northern China and the Central Asian and European markets.

To ensure the smooth operation of the Tianjin (天津)-Baku (巴库) trans-Caspian Central Asia train, Tianjin Container Center Station (天津集装箱中心站) has opened a "green channel" for loading and dispatching, prepared sufficient loading and unloading equipment and operators to ensure the train departs on time; established a rapid customer service response mechanism, arranged dedicated personnel to coordinate and solve various needs in the transportation process; deepened the coordinated linkage with Tianjin Xingang Customs (天津新港海关), Tianjin Port (天津港) and other departments, promoted the "railway fast customs clearance" model, and improved the train transportation efficiency by optimizing customs clearance processes and compressing customs clearance links.

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Foreign Trade Volume of Nine Mainland Cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Reaches Record High

According to statistics from the Guangdong Branch of the General Administration of Customs, in 2025, the nine mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (粤港澳大湾区) (namely Guangzhou (广州市), Shenzhen (深圳市), Zhuhai (珠海市), Foshan (佛山市), Jiangmen (江门市), Zhaoqing (肇庆市), Huizhou (惠州市), Dongguan (东莞市), and Zhongshan (中山市)) achieved a total import and export value of 9.15 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%, accounting for 20.1% of the country's total import and export value. This contributed over one-quarter of the national foreign trade increment, reaching a new historical high.

Among these, exports reached 5.83 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.7%; imports reached 3.32 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.5%. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the import and export of the nine cities all achieved positive growth, with an average annual growth rate of 6.2%.

The vitality of enterprises continues to 迸发 (bèng fā - "burst forth," to gush, to spurt; describes a sudden and forceful release of energy or activity), and the development of private enterprises is relatively rapid. In 2025, the number of enterprises with import and export performance in the nine cities exceeded 150,000, reaching the highest level in history. Among them, there were 139,700 private enterprises, with an import and export value of 5.87 trillion yuan, both of which are historical highs.

The industrial structure is optimized and upgraded, and the export momentum is sufficient. In 2025, electromechanical products accounted for nearly 70% of the total export value of the nine cities, with a scale of 4.07 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.6%. The dominant position of the traditional electronics manufacturing industry is stable, and the export of commodities such as electronic components, electrical equipment, and computers and their parts has steadily increased; the export growth of "new three items," 3D printers, drones, and other intelligent green products has exceeded 30%.

The stable improvement of production and consumption has driven import growth. In 2025, the import of electromechanical products reached 2.39 trillion yuan, accounting for 72.2% of the total import value of the nine cities. The import of components and equipment for industrial production, such as integrated circuits, computers and their parts, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, has grown rapidly.

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This edition's editors: Ji Yalin, Zhang Weihao, Zhai Qinqi

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"14th Five-Year Plan Concludes Successfully: China's Economy Moves Towards Newness and Excellence"

Data source: National Bureau of Statistics (国家统计局), etc.

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Striving for dreams, working hard for happiness

By: 吕钟正

2025 is the closing year of the "14th Five-Year Plan" and a year of great significance in the process of Chinese-style modernization. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's (中国) economy faced multiple unexpected shocks and effectively responded to a series of major risks and challenges. The total economic volume reached new levels, fully demonstrating a steady and progressive trend, resilience against pressure, and vitality towards new and better development.

Looking at the steady and progressive trend. In 2025, GDP crossed the 140 trillion yuan mark, an increase of 5.0% over the previous year; grain production remained stable at the 1.4 trillion jin level for two consecutive years; the manufacturing scale is expected to remain the world's largest for 16 consecutive years; and trade in goods reached a new high... The momentum of economic stability and improvement has been continuously consolidated and expanded, building a solid foundation for the steady and long-term development of China's (中国) economy.

Looking at the resilience against pressure. In 2025, the added value of high-tech manufacturing above designated size increased to 17.1% of the added value of industries above designated size, and the contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth reached 52%; the construction of a unified national market was advanced in depth, and the comprehensive rectification of "involutionary" competition achieved significant results; positive progress was made in people's livelihood undertakings such as elderly care, childcare, and medical care. China's (中国) economic development still faces many old problems and new challenges. We have risen to the challenges and forged ahead, achieving both "quantitative leap" and "qualitative improvement."

Looking at the vitality towards new and better development. Science and technology are deeply integrated with industry, and innovative achievements are emerging in large numbers. We rely on innovation to empower high-quality development. In 2025, China (中国) reported frequent good news in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and brain-computer interfaces; the added value of the digital product manufacturing industry above designated size increased by 9.3% over the previous year, and the proportion of new energy vehicles in domestic new car sales exceeded 50%. Innovation and creation have spawned new quality productive forces, allowing China's (中国) economy to move towards the new and be full of vitality.

"Searching for dreams across mountains and seas, one does not feel the distance; the road ahead is long, stride forward." In the new year, let us work together for our dreams and strive for happiness, turning grand visions into beautiful realities.

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This page editors: Wu Yan, Wu Kai, Huang Jinyu

Layout Design Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Opening New Frontiers in Population Theory and Practice with Chinese Characteristics (In-depth Study and Implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era: A Comprehensive Discussion of Original and Iconic Concepts)

By: 贺 丹 王钦池

Promoting high-quality population development is a new concept and requirement proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平). Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), standing at the strategic height of the great rejuvenation and sustainable development of the Chinese nation, has profoundly grasped the changes in China's population situation, scientifically grasped the laws of population development, and profoundly expounded a series of fundamental, strategic, and overall major theoretical and practical issues in the field of population development. He pointed out that "the population issue has always been an overall, long-term, and strategic issue facing China," and made strategic arrangements to support Chinese-style modernization with high-quality population development, promoting historic new achievements in population work in the new era. General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition on high-quality population development profoundly expounds the great significance, scientific connotation, and realization path of high-quality population development, opening up a new realm of population theory and practice with Chinese characteristics, and providing fundamental guidance for doing a good job in population work in the new era. The "Suggestions" of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Party proposed "promoting high-quality population development" and made important arrangements. To implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech and the decision-making and deployment of the Party Central Committee, it is necessary to establish a "grand population view" and better leverage the fundamental, overall, and strategic role of population factors to support Chinese-style modernization with high-quality population development.

Forming original and iconic concepts in the organic unity of theoretical logic, historical logic, and practical logic.

Concepts are the "cornerstones" of building the edifice of thought. Engels pointed out: "Every new insight put forward by a science contains a revolution in the terminology of that science." Original and iconic concepts are unique and creative forms of thinking that distinguish a theory or doctrine from other theories or doctrines. An important manifestation of this uniqueness and creativity is the "revolution of terminology." Promoting theoretical innovation with original and iconic concepts is an important way to promote the Party's theoretical innovation. The proposal of the concept of "high-quality population development" has significant original and iconic significance in the history of population theory and academics, and promotes the "revolution of terminology" in population theory development.

Looking back at the development of population theory, Marx proposed concepts such as "population reproduction" and "relative surplus population." Our Party attaches great importance to population theory innovation and has proposed concepts such as "population development" and "eugenics." Entering the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) required "promoting the long-term balanced development of the population" at the symposium of experts in the economic and social fields, and proposed the new concept of "promoting high-quality population development" at the first meeting of the 20th Central Finance and Economics Commission. When deeply expounding this important concept, he proposed "new normal of population development," "comprehensive population dividend," and "overall population quality," emphasizing "adhering to promoting high-quality economic and social development with high-quality population development." Among them, the important concept of high-quality population development has a leading role. From "population development" to "high-quality population development" is a leap in the core concept of population development theory. The "high-quality" in high-quality population development is not simply equivalent to high population quality in the traditional demographic sense, but includes new requirements in many aspects such as a moderate fertility level and population size, a reasonable population structure, a higher population quality, and a balanced population distribution. It is a new form of population development that is compatible with the requirements of human development and progress and meets the needs of high-quality economic and social development. For this reason, high-quality population development is the inheritance and development of existing population development-related concepts, reflects the innovation of population development theory, and provides scientific guidance for understanding and solving China's current population problems. At the same time, high-quality population development and high-quality economic and social development together constitute a concept system of high-quality development, deepening the understanding of the regularity of high-quality development.

From the perspective of historical logic, high-quality population development is the result of the evolution of population development, reflecting the unity of the historical laws of population development and historical consciousness. The history of world population development shows that the transition from high birth, high death, and high growth to low birth, low death, and low growth is a basic law of population development. In this process, the contribution of population size to economic growth will gradually weaken, and the supporting role of factors such as population quality improvement and population distribution optimization for economic development will be increasingly enhanced. In this regard, countries have many experiences and lessons. For example, the economic growth achievements of some countries have been diluted by the rapid population growth, and some countries have fallen into the middle-income trap or even the low-income trap due to insufficient investment in education, health, and other fields. After the founding of New China, under the historical conditions of a large population and a weak foundation, we took the initiative to adjust the population. With the improvement of the level of economic and social development, China's population development presents the trend characteristics of low fertility, aging, and regional population growth and decline differentiation. In this regard, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) required "understanding, adapting to, and leading the new normal of population development." At present, China's economy is at a critical juncture of climbing over the hurdle of high-quality development, and the driving force of factor inputs such as capital and labor for economic growth is weakening. Promoting high-quality economic and social development with high-quality population development and focusing on improving the overall quality of the population is not only the historical necessity of population development but also the historical consciousness based on absorbing and learning from the experiences and lessons of world population development.

From the perspective of theoretical logic, high-quality population development is a response to the major issues of population development in the era, laying the cornerstone of the population theory system with Chinese characteristics. Population issues have always accompanied the development process of human society. Marxism insists on observing population phenomena from the contradictory movement of productive forces and production relations, economic base and superstructure, and analyzes the relationship between population reproduction and material reproduction. After the founding of New China, our Party adhered to the basic position and viewpoint of Marxist population theory and explored the mode of population development under socialism. Under the new historical conditions, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) used Marxist population theory to analyze the new trends, new characteristics, and new problems in China's population development, and required "building a population theory system with Chinese characteristics." The proposal of the concept of high-quality population development conforms to the requirements of the era, grasps the laws of population development, scientifically answers a series of major issues of population development in the new era from the strategic height of promoting and expanding Chinese-style modernization, enriches and develops Marxist population theory, and lays the cornerstone of the population theory system with Chinese characteristics.

From the perspective of practical logic, high-quality population development reflects the people-centered development thought and demonstrates the value orientation of Chinese-style modernization. The people are the creators of history, and the essence of modernization is the modernization of people. Although the modernization process of Western developed countries started earlier and has a higher degree of development, their capital-led, foreign expansion and plunder, etc., have led to a series of contradictions and conflicts. Today, Western developed countries have frequent contradictions and social divisions, and an important reason is that they cannot curb the greedy nature of capital and cannot solve the chronic diseases of materialism expansion and spiritual poverty. Chinese-style modernization adheres to the people-centered development thought, adheres to taking the realization of the people's yearning for a better life as the starting point and end point of modernization construction, safeguards the fundamental interests of the people, enhances people's well-being, and strives to safeguard and promote social fairness and justice, and strives to promote common prosperity for all the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "To do a good job in population work in the new era, we must conform to the people's expectations for a better life and adhere to the people's principal position." Adhering to the people-centered development thought, promoting high-quality population development, and allowing the fruits of modernization construction to benefit all the people more and more fairly, and achieving greater breakthroughs in promoting the creation of a high-quality life, not only provides important support for promoting and expanding Chinese-style modernization but is also an important goal of Chinese-style modernization, demonstrating the value orientation of Chinese-style modernization.

Profoundly answering the major theoretical and practical issues of population development in the new era and on the new journey.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition on high-quality population development systematically answers the major theoretical and practical issues such as the relationship between population development and economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, and ecological civilization construction in the new era from the combination of history and reality, theory and practice, domestic and international, etc., reflecting our Party's new understanding of the interrelationship between population and economy, society, resources, and environment, and initially constructing a population theory system with Chinese characteristics, laying the foundation for the grand logic and grand strategy of population development under the new historical conditions, and providing scientific guidance for high-quality population development. Since the new era, under the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition on high-quality population development, China's population quality has been further improved, and high-quality population development has been continuously promoted, providing solid population support for high-quality economic and social development.

On the relationship between population development and building a strong country and national rejuvenation, the strategic significance of population development is clarified, and the world modernization theory is enriched and developed. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Population development is a major event related to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" and "In a considerable period of time in the future, China's basic national condition of a large population will not fundamentally change." Productive forces are the fundamental driving force of human social development and the ultimate cause of all social changes and political reforms; people are the most active factor in productive forces, and talents are the first resource. Since its establishment, our Party has always attached great importance to population issues, continuously deepened its understanding of the laws of population development, and recognized the importance of population development from the height of socialist modernization construction, enhancing the historical depth and strategic height of understanding population issues. Looking back at the world modernization process, no more than 30 countries and regions have achieved modernization, and the population does not exceed 1 billion. Chinese-style modernization is a modernization with a huge population size. More than 1.4 billion people in China will enter a modern society as a whole, and its scale exceeds the sum of existing developed countries. This has no precedent in human history, and the difficulty and complexity are unprecedented. It should be recognized that the power of the people is infinite, and the wisdom of the people is infinite. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "China has a population of more than 1.4 billion, and who can compare with the power and wisdom of hundreds of millions of people combined?" Promoting high-quality population development, adhering to development for the people, development relying on the people, and development results shared by the people, can gather the mighty force to comprehensively promote the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the nation with Chinese-style modernization.

On the relationship between population development and economic and social development, it is emphasized that "investing in things" is closely combined with "investing in people," enriching and developing Marxist social reproduction theory. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that to do a good job in population work in the new era, it is necessary to "promote high-quality economic and social development with high-quality population development," "conform to the people's expectations for a better life, adhere to the people's principal position, closely combine high-quality population development with the people's high-quality life, and closely combine 'investing in things' with 'investing in people.'" Marxism divides social reproduction into population reproduction and material reproduction, that is, population development and economic and social development. In a broad sense, population development can be classified into the category of economic and social development. At the same time, population development has its particularity. Closely combining "investing in things" with "investing in people" and closely combining high-quality population development with the people's high-quality life not only emphasizes the inherent unity and interaction between population reproduction and material reproduction but also emphasizes the importance of "investing in people," fully reflecting that people are the fundamental purpose of development. Promoting high-quality population development, improving the long-term mechanism of investing in people, and expanding effective investment covering the entire population and the entire life cycle can cultivate new economic growth points in enhancing people's well-being, and will provide a fundamental and strategic support for high-quality development while promoting the comprehensive development of people and the comprehensive progress of society, enriching and developing Marxist social reproduction theory.

On the relationship between population development and ecological civilization construction, it is proposed that Chinese-style modernization is a modernization in which man and nature coexist in harmony, enriching and developing the understanding of the relationship between population and resources and environment. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "We must, in accordance with the principle of balanced population, resources, and environment and unified economic, social, and ecological benefits, plan the development of territorial space as a whole, scientifically arrange production space, living space, and ecological space, and leave more restoration space for nature." The complex and close relationship between population and economy, society, resources, and environment is one of the important topics in the history of population thought. Population size, structure, quality, and distribution will have a long-term impact on economic and social development and resource and environmental changes; economic and social development and resource and environmental changes will also change human living conditions and have a positive or negative impact on population development. Strengthening ecological civilization construction and promoting the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature in our world's largest developing country will have a global impact. The new changes and trends in China's population development require us to pay more attention to its impact on resources and the environment in development and strengthen overall coordination. At the same time, the people's needs for a beautiful ecological environment are getting higher and higher, and China's population and resource and environmental carrying capacity are still in a tight balance. The contradiction between population and development in poverty-stricken areas and some ecologically fragile and resource-poor areas is still relatively prominent. Promoting high-quality population development, better coordinating the relationship between population and resources and environment, considering the impact of population peaking and distribution changes, strengthening infrastructure layout, optimizing regional economic layout and territorial space system, and strengthening ecological protection and restoration can better build a beautiful China and achieve sustainable development.

On the relationship between population development and opening up to the outside world, building a strong domestic market gives high-quality population development a distinct world significance. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "As China's more than 1.4 billion people move into modernization as a whole, China will inevitably make greater contributions to the world economy and provide greater space for business circles of various countries" and "The consumption upgrading needs and industrial transformation potential of China's more than 1.4 billion people will provide a strong impetus for the world economy." Since the reform and opening up, the huge market formed by China's large population has made a significant contribution to world economic growth. At present, the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, the global economy is growing weakly, and market demand has become the most scarce resource in global competition. China has the super-large-scale market advantage formed by a population of more than 1.4 billion. Fully utilizing and leveraging this advantage and continuously consolidating and enhancing this advantage can provide strong support for building a new development pattern and provide new impetus for world economic growth. According to the actual situation of China's economic development, promoting high-quality population development, establishing an effective system for expanding domestic demand, and accelerating the cultivation of a complete domestic demand system, etc., expanding residents' consumption, and improving the level of consumption will not only better meet the people's needs for a better life but also make the construction of a super-large-scale domestic market a sustainable historical process, better contributing to promoting world economic growth and enhancing the well-being of people of all countries.

On the relationship between population development and national security, incorporating population security into the overall national security scope clarifies the bottom-line requirements for high-quality population development. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Population security is the bottom-line requirement for high-quality population development, and the rise and fall of great powers are often profoundly affected by population conditions. Population security should be incorporated into the overall national security scope for planning." Population security is not only a direct embodiment of the overall national security concept in the population field but also has a far-reaching impact on political security, national defense security, economic and social security, and cultural and ideological security. This requires us to enhance our risk awareness, comprehensively implement the overall national security concept in the population development strategy, attach importance to grasping the interrelationship between various population elements and the external elements such as population and economy, society, resources, and environment, and strengthen advanced planning and strategic prediction. Promoting high-quality population development, researching and judging the development trends of China's population aging, increasing average life expectancy, increasing years of education, and changes in labor force structure in the next 5 years, 15 years, or even 30 years, preventing and comprehensively responding to potential security problems within the population system and security challenges between systems in advance, and continuously improving the predictability and initiative of work, taking countermeasures before problems occur, and consolidating the foundation of population security.
In the relationship between the history and future of population development, we must adhere to dialectical materialism and scientifically grasp the continuity and stages of population policies. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Our implementation of the family planning policy was a major decision made based on the realistic national conditions of a specific historical stage" "We must fully affirm the correctness and effectiveness of the family planning policy." Population policy belongs to the category of social consciousness and superstructure, and needs to change with changes in social existence or economic foundation. If we separate population policies under different historical conditions and look at the population policy of a certain stage or period in isolation, we will not be able to fully understand the historical logic behind the continuity and stages of China's population policy. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in response to new changes in population growth and population structure, our Party, based on scientific research and judgment, has made major decisions and deployments to gradually adjust and improve fertility policies, implement a national strategy to actively respond to population aging, and promote long-term balanced population development. At the same time, our Party attaches importance to the role of family culture in promoting population development, and proposes "actively cultivating a new type of marriage and childbearing culture, and strengthening guidance on young people's views on marriage, love, childbearing, and family," etc., to enhance the family's inherent ability to maintain the stability of cultural genes and achieve creative transformation when responding to changes in the external environment, and inject cultural power into high-quality population development.

Promote the mutual adaptation of population development and economic and social development, and achieve high-quality development simultaneously.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "The impact of population reduction on economic and social development has both advantages and disadvantages. We cannot only look at one side. Some issues need to be viewed in the long term. We cannot rush to conclusions. We must oppose both 'population determinism' and 'population irrelevance,' and do our work well to maximize advantages and avoid disadvantages." In recent years, as China has generally shifted from a stage of population increase to a stage of population decrease, some erroneous views have emerged that China's demographic dividend has disappeared, and some people have even fabricated the so-called "China population collapse theory," downplaying China's economic growth prospects. This must be objectively analyzed.

The demographic dividend is not only related to population size and structure, but also to population quality, economic policies, and supporting measures. China's existing population and labor force size are large enough. The current reduction in population is limited, the level of education for all people continues to improve, and the comprehensive demographic dividend still has obvious advantages. Population reduction will bring some adverse effects to development, such as a reduction in the labor force and a weakening of consumption and investment momentum. But at the same time, population reduction also has some positive effects, such as forcing economic development to shift from extensive expansion to intensive development. Overall, to deeply understand and grasp General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition on high-quality population development, we must dialectically view the impact of population reduction, implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and promote the mutual adaptation of population development and economic and social development in a timely manner to achieve high-quality development simultaneously.

Adhere to the Party's comprehensive leadership over population work in the new era. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Long-term governance in the country with the largest population in the world, with a long history, a large number of people, and a large scale, has both the huge advantage of doing big things and building great undertakings, and also faces the special difficulties of governing the Party and the country." Promoting high-quality population development is a complex systematic project, and we must adhere to the Party's comprehensive leadership, especially the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, to ensure that the Party always grasps the overall situation and coordinates all parties. On the basis of actively understanding, adapting to, and leading the new normal of population development, we must strengthen top-level design, coordinate and promote, and establish and improve a leadership coordination mechanism to promote high-quality population development, so as to provide a fundamental guarantee for promoting high-quality population development. At the same time, we must do a good job in publicity and guidance to create a good atmosphere for actively responding to the population problems encountered on the road ahead.

Adhere to a people-centered development philosophy. Population work concerns personal development, family happiness, and the future of the nation. Only by adhering to a people-centered development philosophy, respecting population laws, improving service guarantee policies, and promoting common participation and shared development, can we continuously enhance the people's sense of gain and happiness. To this end, we must start by solving the most concerning, most direct, and most realistic interests of the people, adhere to doing our best and acting according to our ability, and guarantee and improve people's livelihood in development. Improve the basic public service system, strengthen inclusive, basic, and bottom-line people's livelihood construction, improve the social security system, improve the health promotion policy system, and while continuously meeting the people's yearning for a better life, promote population structure optimization, continuous improvement of the overall quality of the population, reasonable distribution of modern human resources, and long-term balanced population development.

Grasp the main contradictions. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "In recent years, some significant changes have occurred in China's population development, which faces both the pressure of a large population and the challenges brought about by changes in population structure." This is mainly reflected in the fact that China's population development is not yet adapted to the requirements of economic and social development. On the one hand, aging and low fertility are the basic laws of population development, and their overall trend is difficult to change. On the other hand, while China's high-quality population development has made important achievements, there is still a gap compared with developed countries and with the people's growing needs for a better life. For example, the supply of high-quality population services for the entire population, the entire process, and the entire life cycle is insufficient, there are still shortcomings and weaknesses in the "one old and one young" services, and there are still differences in the level of population development between urban and rural areas and between regions, and so on. To this end, we must promote the transformation of population work from mainly regulating quantity to improving quality, stabilizing total quantity, optimizing structure, and facilitating flow. Improve the population service system covering the entire population and the entire life cycle, advocate a positive view of marriage and childbearing, comprehensively improve the overall quality of the population, and create high-quality human resources with high-quality population development. In particular, it is necessary to improve the service capacity of "one old and one young," improve the policy mechanism for the coordinated development of the elderly care cause and industry, optimize the supply of basic elderly care services, improve the urban and rural elderly care service network; optimize fertility support policies and incentive measures, improve the maternity insurance system, and develop inclusive childcare and integrated childcare services.

Adhere to a systematic perspective. Population development and economic and social development are organically unified. Adhering to a systematic perspective and effectively integrating population into economic and social policies, fully considering population factors in major decisions such as economic and social development strategic plans, strategic adjustments to economic structure, investment projects and productivity layout, coordination of urban and rural regional relations, and sustainable development, can continuously enhance the adaptability of economic and social development to population development. To this end, we must firmly establish a "big population view," deeply study and judge the complex impact of population changes on economic and social development, and promote the formation of a systematic integration effect of population and fiscal, monetary, employment, industrial, investment, consumption, ecological, regional, and other policies. For example, in terms of industrial development, we should build a modern industrial system in line with the new trends in population transformation; in terms of urban-rural integrated development, we should promote the integration of urban and rural industrial development, infrastructure, and public services in line with population flow trends. At the same time, we must strengthen population statistics and dynamic monitoring and early warning, and establish and improve a major decision-making population and fertility impact assessment mechanism, so as to plan and respond to population development and security issues with a systematic perspective.

Adhere to reform and innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Adhere to promoting high-quality population development with reform and innovation." Based on the reality of China's population development changes, deepening reforms in key areas and key links, and accelerating the formation of ideas, policies, laws and regulations, systems and mechanisms, and public policy systems that are conducive to high-quality population development, are conducive to providing impetus and support for high-quality population development. To this end, we must fully recognize the complexity and arduousness of population work in the new era, focus on breaking down institutional and mechanism barriers, deepen the reform and innovation of education and health undertakings, actively promote the improvement and optimization of relevant laws and regulations and policy systems, and strengthen the legal guarantee for population development. At the same time, we should pay attention to strengthening the systematic integration and coordinated efficiency of reform measures, enhance the fairness and accessibility of institutional arrangements, improve the systematicness, integrity, and coordination of policies, and continuously promote the comprehensive development of people and the common prosperity of all people in the process of promoting high-quality population development.

(The authors are the Director of the China Population and Development Research Center and a special researcher at the Beijing (北京市) Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center, respectively.)

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Grasping Implementation Meticulously and Practically (Ideological Perspectives)

By: 向守俊

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "One point of deployment, nine points of implementation. If we do not pay attention to implementation, and do not earnestly grasp implementation, even the best plans and deployments will become castles in the air." To grasp implementation, we must grasp the details and be practical, coordinating every important stage, every key link, and every crucial node in our work, and strive to ensure that everything has a response and every matter is settled.

To grasp implementation well, the key lies in coming up with concrete deployment measures. If "grasping implementation" is only lip service and not put into practice, the content of implementation will be vague, the path will be changed frequently, and the standards will be ambiguous. In the end, it will only be a "paper lantern": it looks bright on the outside, but it is all empty inside. To grasp implementation in a practical way is by no means saying it is the same as doing it, or doing it is the same as doing it well. Instead, we must carry forward the work style of seeking truth and being pragmatic, not doing superficial work, not showing off fancy skills, but calming down to study problems, coming up with real solutions to solve problems, refining the division of tasks, assigning responsibilities to individuals, and setting time nodes to promote the implementation of policies and deployments.

The true meaning of grasping implementation lies in being realistic and pragmatic, and truly doing practical work. The most taboo is showing off fancy skills and playing false tricks. Some party members and cadres shout "grasp implementation" on their lips, but the way they operate is to implement meetings with meetings and implement documents with documents. In the end, most of the things that should be implemented only stay on paper and rarely fall into practice. Those who only grasp implementation in words are speaking the words of "implementation" to others, and the requirements of "implementation" are all put to others. These practices expose the inertia of thinking in generalities and the mentality of shirking responsibility. Party members and cadres who work with this kind of thinking and mentality are often too lazy to take the first step to conduct research, do not want to use their brains to solve problems, do not know how to transform a clear task book into a concrete roadmap, and are unwilling to stand up and take responsibility when problems arise. Instead, they regard "grasping implementation in words" as a "liability waiver," often saying things like "I told them to grasp implementation a long time ago." Grasping implementation in this way can only leave the specific executors at a loss, and the things that should be implemented will only fall into emptiness.

To grasp implementation in detail and in a practical way, party members and cadres need to throw themselves into the work, take the first step, go deep into the front line, and act as "decoders" of policy implementation. They should think more about how to transform macro policies into quantifiable, assessable, and operable task lists, and how to combine the actual situation of their region and field to determine the task book, roadmap, timetable, and responsible person. They should refine large goals into small tasks, so that the comrades who are specifically implementing the tasks have a clear understanding of what needs to be done, how it should be done, and to what extent it should be done, and take one step at a time to do the things that should be done well, so that the people can see real changes and get real benefits.

One point of deployment, nine points of implementation. If the slogans are loud but there is no action, even the best policies are just empty words; if you only hear the sound of footsteps upstairs but no one comes down, even the best decisions are difficult to achieve results. To prevent implementation from becoming empty, we also need to make good use of the "baton" of the system and mechanism, forming a closed loop between deployment and implementation, and preventing the phenomenon of "sand flowing on the beach without reaching the end." Establish and improve dynamic tracking, supervision and inspection, and assessment and accountability mechanisms, conduct process control over clear time nodes and task standards, and through strong supervision and inspection, promptly discover problems, clear blockages, and correct deviations in the first time to ensure that the course is always accurate. At the same time, we should clearly establish a work orientation of truly grasping and doing practical work, so that those who honestly and steadily grasp implementation are praised, reused, and benefit, and those who engage in formalism and play false tricks are punished, have no market, and lose their positions, promoting the formation of a work atmosphere of speaking with practical work and talking about practical results. With the spirit of nailing nails, we should knock one hammer after another, and with the skill of embroidery, we should work one term after another, so that every task has deployment, implementation, inspection, and feedback, and achieves real results.

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Is charging for seat selection on airplanes reasonable? (Focus on the Rule of Law)

By: 本报记者 姚雪青

When taking a flight, consumers often encounter this situation: when selecting seats online, they find that more convenient and comfortable seats, such as those in the front, by the window, or by the aisle, are often locked individually. They either cannot be selected, require offline selection, or need to be redeemed with points or mileage. This appears to be a segmentation of service levels by airlines, but in reality, it is a means of increasing revenue by locking up premium seats. Recently, the Jiangsu Provincial Consumer Council (江苏省消保委) released the "Airline Ticket Seat Locking Investigation Report," which has aroused public attention.

"Air transportation has the attributes of a public service. The practice of some airlines charging for seats that should be within the scope of regular services by locking them is suspected of infringing upon consumers' rights to fair transactions and freedom of choice. All airlines should conduct self-inspection and correction, optimize service rules, and actively respond to consumers' reasonable demands," said the relevant person in charge of the Jiangsu Provincial Consumer Council (江苏省消保委). "All 10 domestic airlines selected for this survey have replied to the Provincial Consumer Council, expressing their acceptance of supervision and guidance. We will continue to promote this work to improve the quality of air services."

The reporter learned that the survey objects selected for this investigation included China Eastern Airlines (东方航空), China Southern Airlines (南方航空), Air China (中国国航), Hainan Airlines (海南航空), Xiamen Airlines (厦门航空), Shenzhen Airlines (深圳航空), Shandong Airlines (山东航空), Sichuan Airlines (四川航空), Spring Airlines (春秋航空), and Juneyao Airlines (吉祥航空). The investigation found that there are four major problems in the market for airline ticket seat locking services.

Problem 1: Seat locking is prevalent in civil aviation services.

The survey shows that all 10 airlines mentioned above have ticket seat locking behavior in economy class, and none of them fully open all economy class seats. Seat locking has become a common phenomenon in civil aviation services.

From the perspective of seat locking ratio, the seat locking ratio of the investigated routes in the purchase stage ranges from 19.9% to 62.1%, with an average of 38.7%. Among them, the seat locking ratio of Spring Airlines' (春秋航空) "Nanjing (南京) - Lanzhou (兰州)" (9C6188) route exceeds 60%, and the seat locking ratio of Shenzhen Airlines' (深圳航空) "Shenzhen (深圳) - Zhanjiang (湛江)" (ZH9327) route exceeds 50%. More than half of the economy class seats of these two airlines are locked in advance.

From the perspective of seat locking area, the 10 airlines generally include premium seats preferred by consumers, such as the front row of economy class, next to the safety exit, by the window, and by the aisle, into the locking range. The unlocking threshold is divided into tiers according to seat level. The more forward or comfortable the seat is, the higher the amount of rights and interests that need to be consumed.

Problem 2: Unlocking seats requires disguised payment.

The survey shows that some of the premium seats locked by the 10 airlines need to be redeemed with mileage or membership points to be unlocked. Taking Xiamen Airlines' (厦门航空) "Xiamen (厦门) - Guilin (桂林)" (MF8847) route as an example, this type of locked seat is divided into preferred seats, first-choice seats, and standard seats, corresponding to redemption thresholds of 2000 points, 1600 points, and 1000 points respectively.

On the basis of rights and interests redemption, some airlines have simultaneously and clearly added rules such as paying to purchase points or mileage, and selling rights and interests packages containing points or seat selection coupons, making the unlocking path of premium seats inclined to paid acquisition. The survey found that Hainan Airlines (海南航空), Xiamen Airlines (厦门航空), and Sichuan Airlines (四川航空) have opened mileage or points paid purchase services.

Gong Yongzhuang (龚永壮), a staff member of the Consumer Guidance Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Consumer Council (江苏省消保委), introduced that the vast majority of ordinary consumers lack effective channels for accumulating points and can only passively accept the remaining ordinary seats. The above two methods are essentially splitting the "basic seat selection right" into paid services, which is one of the means of increasing revenue in disguise.

Problem 3: Information is not transparent and explanations are unreasonable.

Why do airlines lock seats? In response to consumers' concerns about the reasons for seat locking, the scope of seat locking, the unlocking methods, and related rules, investigators consulted the official customer service of 10 airlines. The customer service of all 10 airlines confirmed the objective situation of "seat locking in the online seat selection stage," but the explanations for the scope and rules of seat locking were relatively vague.

For example, the customer service of many airlines explained the reasons for seat locking by reserving seats for special passengers, ensuring the use of emergency seats, and maintaining the balance of flight loading, emphasizing the compliance of economy class seat locking. The customer service of some airlines replied relatively vaguely, responding with system default rules without giving clear and reasonable basis. Some customer service representatives said "it may be that the seat is damaged, there is no specific locking reason, subject to the scene"; others said "I don't know the locking reason, the customer service cannot verify it, and it needs to be coordinated on the spot."

Fu Zheng (傅铮), director of the Complaints Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Consumer Council (江苏省消保委), believes that the survey shows that the seat locking ratio of airlines mostly reaches more than 30%, which is contrary to the statement of "reserving seats for special passengers"; in addition to the safety exit position, a large number of more convenient, comfortable, and consumer-preferred positions such as by the window and by the aisle are locked, which is contrary to the statement of "ensuring the use of emergency seats"; consumers only need to deduct rights and interests or pay to unlock, which is contrary to the reason of "maintaining the balance of flight loading."

Problem 4: There are unfair standard terms.

The seat selection agreement texts of the 10 airlines generally have unfair standard terms. On the one hand, there is a lack of notification obligation. Key information such as seat locking rules, seat charging standards, and free seat range are not significantly and comprehensively notified in the ticket purchase link, and only prompted through system restrictions or implicit terms in the seat selection or check-in link, which is suspected of infringing on consumers' right to know. On the other hand, the expression is vague. Vague expressions such as "subject to the real-time display of the system" and "reserving seats for safety or operational needs" are generally used, deliberately avoiding the public display of information such as the number, range, and opening time of free seats, providing convenience for airlines to unilaterally lock seats.

"With the increase in operating costs and the difficulty in unilaterally increasing ticket prices, value stratification and differentiated management of seat resources are important ways for airlines to achieve revenue optimization." The person in charge of the product service department of a large airline said that in response to the problems of "excessive locking range" and "insufficient information transparency," relevant policies are in the stage of comprehensive evaluation, and airlines will seek a more balanced way between protecting the experience of rights and interests passengers and maintaining the reasonable choice rights of ordinary passengers, and further improve the transparency and standardization of seat selection information.

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Locking seats constitutes discriminatory restrictions against ordinary consumers (expert opinion)

By: 窦海阳

Locking airline seats is not a "business model innovation," but rather a separation of contractual obligations. The core of the passenger transport contract is the transportation service and the associated right to use a seat. Once a consumer pays for a ticket, a legal and valid air passenger transport contract is established with the airline. According to the Civil Code, the airline shall transport passengers and goods to the agreed location according to the agreed or usual transportation route, and "providing a seat that meets the contractual consideration" is a natural component of this obligation.

The essence of the seat-locking behavior is to separate the high-quality seats that should be equally enjoyed in economy class from the basic service, and to set exclusive restrictions through paid or membership point thresholds, which is inconsistent with the scope of rights corresponding to the price paid by consumers for economy class.

The airline's autonomy in operation should not override the basic rights and interests of consumers. The airline fails to prominently inform consumers of the scope of seat locking, charging standards, and distribution of free seats during the ticket purchase process, and only uses vague statements such as "subject to system display" to evade the obligation to explain. Dividing seat usage rights based on membership level and additional payment constitutes a discriminatory restriction on ordinary consumers. This behavior is suspected of violating consumers' right to know and right to fair trade.

(The author is a researcher at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院法学研究所))

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Managing seat resources should not single-mindedly pursue economic benefits (Expert Opinion)

By: 李一凡

Airlines commonly implement seat-locking strategies in seat allocation, which appears to be a market behavior on the surface, but is essentially price discrimination and information concealment. Airlines exploit consumer surplus and increase their own revenue by locking high-demand seats through online platforms and setting different price unlocking methods.

This opaque seat-locking behavior, on the one hand, increases consumers' decision-making costs, distorts demand signals, and reduces market allocation efficiency; on the other hand, it sets a double threshold of "consumption frequency + payment ability" for comfort resources, weakening the quasi-public attribute of aviation services and exacerbating distributional injustice.

Currently, in order to cope with fierce market competition and meet the differentiated travel needs of passengers, airlines are constantly adjusting their management methods for seat resources, but they cannot one-sidedly pursue economic benefits and ignore the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. To achieve an effective balance between economic benefits and social equity in aviation services, airlines should actively respond to public demands, establish clear institutional baselines and information disclosure standards, formulate fairer and more transparent seat allocation rules, disclose the proportion of locked seats and paid seat selection rules, set minimum ratio requirements for free economy class seats, and incorporate rights and interests such as points and gift packages that can be used for seat selection vouchers into the supervision of quasi-financial products.

(The author is a doctoral student at the School of Economics, Renmin University of China (中国人民大学))

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Attracting Talent is Key, But Utilizing it Well is Even More Important (On-the-Ground Observations)

By: 颜 珂

The key to employing people lies in making the best use of their talents, ensuring that everyone feels they "can accomplish things, are respected, and have a promising future."

Not long ago, villagers in Lantangsi Village (蓝塘寺村), Qiaokou Town (乔口镇), Wangcheng District (望城区), Changsha City (长沙市), Hunan Province (湖南省) tasted the sweetness of "cultural tourism" for the first time.

Lantangsi Village (蓝塘寺村) is adjacent to the urban area of Changsha (长沙) and boasts the largest natural lake in Changsha (长沙). On the lakeside, there is an idle water tower that was converted into a lighthouse a few years ago. Last year, Lantangsi Village (蓝塘寺村) launched the new cultural tourism brand "Lighthouse Lantangsi" (灯塔蓝塘寺) and organized a lighthouse fair. In two days, it attracted more than 60,000 tourists, generating an increase in income of about 400,000 yuan.

The person who came up with the idea is Yang Hailiang (杨海亮), one of the first "Rural CEOs" recruited by Wangcheng District (望城区), responsible for the market-oriented operation and management of rural assets. Catering, study tours, health and wellness... In just over a year, new business formats have blossomed in the village, with an annual agricultural, cultural, and tourism income of more than 2 million yuan.

What the local area needs is what the individual aspires to. The story of Lantangsi Village (蓝塘寺村) is also a story of talent and the countryside heading towards each other. Using market methods to activate rural assets, the "Rural CEO's" operational capabilities are what the local area needs; and the vast world of agricultural, cultural, and tourism integration has also allowed Yang Hailiang (杨海亮) to see opportunities.

"Without a good environment for starting a business, even the best ideas cannot be implemented." Yang Hailiang (杨海亮) is very satisfied with the business environment here. "The town and village have established a working group, and everyone is of one mind and works together, creating a very good atmosphere."

Recruiting talents is a major undertaking. "Attracting" is the beginning, but a good article cannot only have a good start. After selecting talents, it is even more important to cultivate and use them well. The key to employing people lies in making the best use of their talents, ensuring that everyone feels they "can accomplish things, are respected, and have a promising future."

Tan Fengjiao (谭葑姣), a capable person from Chating Town (茶亭镇), Wangcheng District (望城区), resolutely returned to her hometown with the desire to "let more people see the good things in her hometown." Promoting the beautiful scenery and good products of her hometown online, and revitalizing farmhouses to create homestays offline, this "new farmer" has created a new world through hard work and has been recognized as a district-level backbone talent.

Reviewing Wangcheng District's (望城区) talent policies, they are sincere, practical, and unconventional, focusing on high-level talents while not forgetting the "field experts" and "agricultural experts" needed by the countryside. In the past three years, among the 173 high-level talents recognized by the district in Changsha City (长沙市), 27 are leading talents in the modern agricultural industry.

More than a year since the unveiling of the Wangcheng Economic Development Zone (望城经开区) University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Base, more than 60 companies have settled in. "Office space is rent-free for 3 years, and you can move in with just a backpack; the entrepreneurial service system almost covers all the common needs of start-ups, and even sites for pilot testing, intermediate testing, and large-scale production have been arranged in the surrounding area." Li Hongqiang (李洪强), head of the scientific research team of the School of Civil Engineering of Hunan University (湖南大学), said, "I have seen many places, but the service here is more thoughtful and makes people feel more at ease to start a business."

Talent work is a systematic project. Only by attracting, using, and retaining talents can they stay and work well, gradually forming a talent attraction field that attracts people from near and far, allowing both supply and demand sides to achieve and support each other.

(The author is a reporter from the Hunan Branch of this newspaper)

Column submission email: rrmbzzb@peopledaily.cn

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Wanzhou, Chongqing, Fully Promotes Smart Healthcare Supervision Platform

According to a report from our newspaper in Chongqing (重庆) on January 19th, written by reporter Shen Jingran (沈靖然), the Wanzhou District (万州区) of Chongqing (重庆) has recently implemented the "Five-Comprehensive, Five-Emphasis" digital intelligence supervision platform, independently developed by the Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University (重庆大学附属三峡医院), across all 58 hospitals in the district. This platform breaks down the regulatory barriers in five key areas: medical treatment, pharmaceuticals, medical insurance, medical procurement, and medical consumables. It enables real-time monitoring of data and medical practices, aiding in the precise deployment of supervisory priorities.

As hospitals expand in scale and medical practices become increasingly complex, traditional supervision methods relying on manual investigation are no longer adequate for modern hospital management requirements. To address this challenge, the Three Gorges Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University (重庆大学附属三峡医院) integrated data from 18 business systems, including rational drug use, intelligent medical insurance control, and medical consumables management. This integration established an automated monitoring system covering 125 regulatory comparison rules and 27 early warning indicators, enabling real-time capture and penetrating supervision of key risks. In response to the informatization construction status of primary medical institutions such as township health centers and community health service centers, Wanzhou District (万州区) customized the platform, focusing on strengthening the supervision of drugs and consumables. Currently, the platform has been fully launched in all primary medical institutions throughout the district.

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Hong Kong and Macao Cooperate to Optimize Customs Clearance Facilitation Measures

This newspaper reports from Macao on January 19th (Reporter Fu Zimei (富子梅)): This reporter learned from the Public Security Police Force of the Macao Special Administrative Region (澳门特区政府治安警察局) that the Public Security Police Force of the Macao Special Administrative Region (澳门特区政府治安警察局), the Identification Services Bureau (身份证明局), the Macao Security Forces Affairs Bureau (保安部队事务局), and the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (香港特区政府入境事务处) have jointly optimized the facilitation measures for customs clearance between Hong Kong and Macao. Starting from January 19, 2026, the applicable age for permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macao to use each other's self-service customs clearance channels will be lowered from 11 years old to 7 years old. This move will further enhance the convenient customs clearance experience for relevant individuals.

According to reports, relevant individuals, accompanied by their parents or guardians, can carry supporting documents to complete the registration procedures at the self-service customs clearance registration office at the other party's port. About 30 minutes after successful registration, they can use the other party's self-service channel for customs clearance. To cooperate with the above measures, Macao's "Cooperative Inspection Self-service Channel" and "Iris Recognition Channel" will be simultaneously expanded to apply to Hong Kong permanent residents aged between 7 and 10.

In addition, non-permanent residents aged 18 or above in Hong Kong and Macao can use local self-service kiosks for pre-registration. About 3 hours after successful registration, they can use the other party's self-service customs clearance channel to enter and exit the country.

The relevant person in charge of the Public Security Police Force of the Macao Special Administrative Region (澳门特区政府治安警察局) stated that the relevant departments in Hong Kong and Macao will maintain close contact, continue to promote cross-border government affairs, create mutually beneficial customs clearance measures, deepen immigration cooperation, and jointly build a high-quality living circle in the Greater Bay Area (大湾区).

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Photo Report

Starting January 19th, as we enter the twelfth lunar month, the atmosphere of the Lunar New Year gradually intensifies. The Third Kindergarten of Cangzhou (沧州) City, Hebei (河北) Province, held a wonderful folk performance of dragon and lion dances, allowing children to personally experience the charm of traditional folk culture. The picture shows teachers leading children to watch the dragon dance performance.

Photo by Fu Xinchun (傅新春) (People's Vision)

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Socialized collaboration promotes co-governance and shared benefits.

By: 本报记者 周 欢

In the early morning, Dapi Village (大陂村), Anyuan District (安源区), Pingxiang City (萍乡市), Jiangxi Province (江西省) is shrouded in a misty atmosphere, and full-time grid member Ye Hu (叶虎) has already started his visits. In recent years, Anyuan District (安源区) has optimized grid management, established a "police-grid integration" mechanism, promoted the embedding of all district public security police officers into the grid, and paired them with full-time grid members to perform their duties. Ye Hu (叶虎) and resident police officer Xie Hong (谢洪) formed a "police-grid partner" and conduct joint patrols every Tuesday.

During a routine grid patrol, Ye Hu (叶虎) discovered three children playing in a dam, immediately dissuaded them, and notified Xie Hong (谢洪). Fifteen minutes later, Xie Hong (谢洪) arrived with a drowning prevention manual and immediately agreed to work with the village Party branch to conduct a safety lesson, and notified the village's parents and children to come and listen. That evening, a "drowning prevention patrol team" composed of party member volunteers took up their posts, taking turns on duty in key water areas every day.

Since 2025, full-time grid members throughout the district have made a total of more than 12,000 visits, organized more than 580 safety publicity events, and investigated more than 800 various conflicts and disputes.

At the entrance of Quanjiangyan Elementary School (泉江堰小学) in Gaokeng Town (高坑镇), the children walked calmly on the widened cement road, which made Ms. Liang (梁女士) very gratified. More than a month ago, she saw the children crowded on the narrow road, which was very unsafe, so she expressed her concerns to grid chief Lai Yongjiang (赖勇江). Lai Yongjiang (赖勇江) immediately reported the situation to the Gaokeng Town (高坑镇) Party Committee.

The town Party committee organized an on-site inspection as soon as possible and recorded the road safety hazard in the "Happiness 360" smart platform. As an important platform for efficient service response, the "Happiness 360" smart platform integrates resources such as the 12345 hotline to build a response mechanism of "masses ordering—platform dispatching—party members accepting orders—masses evaluating orders." Three days later, the widening plan was approved at the town Party committee meeting; 25 days later, the road widening and renovation was completed. Today, the 160-meter-long road has been widened to 4.5 meters, complete with speed bumps, drainage ditches, and reflectors.

Such an efficient response is now commonplace in Anyuan District (安源区): the Five陂Town (五陂镇) household system is linked with the platform, and the contact lists of 175 party member cadres are updated in real time; the Phoenix Street (凤凰街道) trust-based property APP is linked to the platform, and party member building leaders answer owners' questions online. Charging pile installation, old water pipe renovation, garbage transfer station optimization, and street lamp replenishment in back streets and alleys – in the field of people's livelihood, the platform has coordinated the completion of 16,000 practical and beneficial things for the people, enhancing the people's sense of gain and happiness.

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This edition's editors: Su Xianlong, Zhao Xiaoxi, Chi Jiarui

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Exhibiting the Splendor of Chu Culture, Appreciating the Elegance of Court Music (Experiencing China Through Culture)

By: 本报记者 李俊杰

Core Reading

The No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun (武王墩) in Huainan (淮南), Anhui (安徽) Province, is the highest-level Chu (楚) state tomb discovered in China through archaeological excavation to date. After a year of artifact sorting, preservation, and restoration, a series of archaeological achievements from the tomb recently debuted at the National Museum of China (中国国家博物馆). As archaeological research continues to deepen and the construction of the archaeological site park accelerates, this Chu king's tomb from the late Warring States period will reveal more historical details and showcase the splendor of Chu culture in diverse ways.

A complete set of bronze chimes and stone chimes is magnificent, and the audience in front of the display case repeatedly exclaimed in amazement. Liu Tian (刘甜), a visitor, made a special trip from Changzhou (常州), Jiangsu (江苏) Province, to Beijing (北京) to see the unearthed cultural relics, "It completely satisfied all my curiosity."

The "Encountering King Kaolie—Archaeological Exhibition of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun, Huainan, Anhui" is being held at the National Museum of China for a period of 4 months. More than 200 sets of cultural relics unearthed from the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun are on display, systematically showcasing the scientific process of archaeological excavation, the ritual connotations of the tomb of King Kaolie of Chu (楚考烈王), and the achievements of Chu's material civilization.

The No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun is the largest, highest-level, and most complex large-scale Chu high-level tomb scientifically excavated to date. After the successful completion of the field excavation work of the tomb, a series of archaeological achievements met with the audience after a year of artifact sorting, preservation, and restoration. At the Wu Wangdun archaeological site, an archaeological site park is also under construction.

Exhibition: Musical Instrument Relics Confirm Records in "Chu Ci"

Musical instrument relics are a major highlight of the exhibition. Gong Xicheng (宫希成), the leader of the archaeological excavation project of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun, introduced that among the more than 10,000 cultural relics unearthed, musical instrument relics are numerous and diverse. Among them, there are more than 50 se (瑟) instruments, more than 20 sheng (笙) and yu (竽) instruments, plus chimes, stone chimes, and tiger-seated bird-frame drums, forming a complete set of court ritual music system.

"The concentrated excavation of a large number of stringed and wind instruments is a physical confirmation of the grand music and dance scenes in the 'Chu Ci'," said Gong Xicheng. This batch of cultural relics clearly reflects the major transformation of music forms in China during the Warring States period—from the metal and stone music dominated by bronze chimes to the elegant music system dominated by silk and bamboo wind instruments.

Also attracting attention are the divination oracle bones. "This batch of oracle bones unearthed from the outer coffin chamber of the 'Chu King's Treasury' on the south side was broken into thousands of fragments. After careful restoration, we have pieced together 7 turtle plastrons and 48 turtle carapaces," introduced Chai Zhengliang (柴政良), a member of the archaeological excavation project of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun. These oracle bones are a completely new discovery in the archaeological study of tombs in the late Warring States period.

"The oracle bones have distinct characteristics of the era and region," said Chai Zhengliang. Generally, the oracle bones of the Shang Dynasty (商代) were drilled with round holes, and after the Zhou Dynasty (周代), they became square holes. The oracle bones of Wu Wangdun continued the divination tradition of the Zhou people. Unlike the oracle bones of Yin Xu (殷墟), the oracle bones of Wu Wangdun do not have inscriptions. Through infrared photography and other technologies, the archaeological team discovered the characters "Chang Ling (长霝)" on some oracle bones, which is the first physical discovery of "Chang Ling" oracle bones recorded in documents.

The reporter saw in the archaeological laboratory of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun in Huainan City (淮南市) that a bamboo ruler with a total length of about 69.4 cm was soaked in a transparent container, which revealed the secret of weights and measures. "The scale of the ruler is uniform and clear, with each cun (寸) being about 2.31 cm, from which it is inferred that one chi (尺) in the Chu state in the late Warring States period was about 23.1 cm," introduced Fang Ling (方玲), the executive leader of the archaeological excavation project of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun. After comparison and research, this scale is basically the same as that of the Qin (秦) state and other vassal states in the same period, "indicating that before the unification of Qin, the weights and measures of various countries had shown a trend of convergence."

The No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun also restored the real life of the Chu nobles for later generations. Through analysis and testing, the archaeological team discovered rich animal and plant remains in cultural relics such as bronze ding (鼎) vessels. The plant remains include plums, gourd seeds, melon seeds, ginger, and dates, while the animals include cattle, pigs, sheep, fish, as well as geese, ducks, and other poultry. Moreover, the animal bones have all undergone cooking, providing important physical data for the study of Chu's diet.

From cultural systems to life details, the systematic archaeological excavation of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun vividly reveals the splendor of Chu culture and the historical context of the continuity of Chinese civilization.

Archaeology: Artifact "Puzzle" Restores Historical Details

In the archaeological laboratory behind the archaeological excavation site of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun, an artifact "puzzle" racing against time is underway.

On the long table in front of Chai Zhengliang and his team members are scattered hundreds of wooden figurine fragments of different sizes. Chai Zhengliang carefully held up a wooden figurine fragment, observed the interface marks on it, and the members next to him carefully searched for possible matches by comparing it with the photos of similar wooden figurines that had been pieced together. After months of efforts, the team has successfully completed the preliminary piecing together of more than 80 wooden figurines. "We are restoring the original arrangement of these wooden figurines, trying to restore the court scenes of the year; while continuing to piece together the remaining fragments, so that more wooden figurines can return to their completeness," said Chai Zhengliang.

In the adjacent laboratory, another group of "puzzles" is underway. Li Fengxiang (李凤翔), a member of the archaeological excavation project of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun, is focusing on the piecing together of se (瑟) boards. These wooden components of ancient stringed instruments have been mostly broken and deformed after years of erosion. Restoring their original appearance requires great patience and professional judgment. "We not only have to complete the basic fragment matching, but also try to piece together different parts such as the bottom plate and side plate one by one, so as to restore the complete structure of the entire instrument as much as possible," said Li Fengxiang.

In the entire archaeological laboratory of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun, there are 8 such groups, each responsible for different tasks such as bronze ware restoration, lacquerware protection, textile cleaning, and bamboo slip sorting. The multi-line parallel operation mode ensures the efficient advancement of the entire archaeological project.

"We plan to complete two systematic archaeological reports in 2026, and publish the valuable first-hand information as soon as possible," said Fang Ling. Timely information sharing can attract more researchers to join the research of the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun.

Archaeological work is also introducing cutting-edge technology. The Neutron Technology Application Research Center of the Energy Research Institute of the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center (安徽合肥综合性国家科学中心) has a group of special "customers"—precious cultural relics such as bronze ding (鼎) vessels unearthed from the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun. Gong Xicheng introduced that compared with common detection methods such as X-rays and CT scans, neutron imaging technology is more convenient for generating high-resolution three-dimensional images. "Through neutron imaging technology, we can clearly observe the connection structure between the copper feet and the body of the bronze ware, and accurately restore the casting and assembly technology of ancient craftsmen. At present, we have sent more than 10 cultural relics for neutron imaging analysis."

At the same time, the cooperation project between the archaeological team and the China National Silk Museum (中国丝绸博物馆) is also steadily advancing. The team is deeply analyzing the textile fragments unearthed from the tomb, combining relevant historical documents and contemporary archaeological discoveries, and striving to accurately restore the complete costumes of this Chu king.

Archaeological Site Park: Underground Protection and Above-Ground Display

At the construction site of the Wu Wangdun Archaeological Site Park, giant tower cranes are waving their long arms, and construction vehicles are shuttling back and forth. A few days ago, with the precise docking of the last steel beam, the main steel structure of the Wu Wangdun Site Museum was fully capped, and the architectural outline is clearly visible. This museum, with a total construction area of 47,600 square meters, integrates functions such as display and exhibition, cultural relic collection, and academic research, and is planned to be fully completed in 2027.

"The museum is an important carrier of the archaeological site park. We adopt the design concept of 'underground protection and above-ground display' to protect the tomb body to the greatest extent," introduced Shen Hanqing (沈汉清), an expert consultant of the Huainan Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics (淮南市文物局). "More than 10,000 unearthed cultural relics will 'settle down' here, including the complete set of ritual music instruments and precious oracle bones." The museum will comprehensively display the charm of Chu culture through various forms such as cultural relic display, scene restoration, and interactive experience.

According to the plan, the Wu Wangdun Archaeological Site Park has a total area of about 7,620 mu (亩). In addition to the Site Museum, supporting facilities such as an archaeological workstation, a visitor service center, and a cultural industry incubation center will also be built to create a comprehensive archaeological site park integrating cultural relic protection, cultural inheritance, and tourism development.

"We must not only protect cultural relics, but also make them come alive and allow the public to better feel history," said Shen Hanqing. "In the future, we will also build a 'Chu Capital Cultural Tourism Corridor' to connect historical and cultural resources such as Wu Wangdun, Shouchun City (寿春城), and Bagong Mountain (八公山) to form a 'one-day tour of the Chu capital' tourism route."

As the special exhibition opened at the National Museum of China, the "Traveling Through Wu Wangdun: From Archaeological Site to Literary Site—Anhui Creative Research Trip for Famous Online Literature Writers" event was also held simultaneously, releasing a number of incubation and transformation plans centered on the "Wu Wangdun" IP, and promoting the transformation of archaeological achievements into literary creation.

From the sensational discoveries of archaeological excavations to the ingenuity and perseverance of cultural relic restoration, from special exhibitions to archaeological site parks, the No. 1 Tomb of Wu Wangdun is entering the public eye in diverse forms. With the continuous deepening of archaeological research and the accelerated construction of the archaeological site park, this Chu king's tomb from the late Warring States period will reveal more historical details and take us back to the splendor of Chu culture.

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Weaving the Texture of Life into the Play (New Discourse)

By: 刘敏涛

Recently, the drama "The Eccentrics" has graced the stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (国家大剧院). As the curtain rises, I seem to see "Sister Guan the Second" (关二姐) welcoming and seeing off guests in the bustling Tianjin Wei (天津卫). Not long ago, I won the 18th Wenhua Performance Award for playing the role of "Sister Guan the Second" (关二姐). This honor, like a beam of warm light, encourages me to continue on this artistic path full of challenges and emotions with more determined steps.

The drama "The Eccentrics" is set against the backdrop of the Tianjin Wei (天津卫) docks in the late Qing Dynasty, showcasing the various aspects of ordinary people's lives. "Sister Guan the Second" (关二姐) is witty, chivalrous, and tender. She guards a tavern and, more importantly, the rules in her heart. To make her "grow" from life, I designed subtle changes in her footsteps—from the light and shy steps when she married at eighteen to the steady and practical steps when she managed the household in her thirties. The vividness and credibility of the role cannot be separated from the continuous secondary and tertiary creation of the actors in rehearsal, performance, and even the final stage presentation.

Touring for nearly 4 years, I and another actor, Teacher Xu Songzi (徐松子), as well as the teachers from Tianjin People's Art Theatre (天津人艺), Children's Art Theatre (儿艺), and Quyi (曲艺) teams, have performed more than 50 shows together. We are like a family, pondering the play in our spare time, with the older generation leading the new, passing on experience and helping each other, and incorporating the texture of life into the play.

Putting Mr. Feng Jicai's (冯骥才) literary classic on the contemporary stage, we hold a sense of 战战兢兢 (zhàn zhàn jīng jīng - "trembling with fear," cautious and fearful). How can we achieve a dialogue with the audience while staying true to the original work? How can we make today's young people, especially those who may not have read the original work, not only sit still but also understand and resonate with it? These are the questions that must be answered. "Sister Guan the Second" (关二姐) has a positive attitude of "no matter how difficult it is, we must go on, and there is always hope and expectation in life," which can resonate with people of any era. An actor is a window and a messenger, allowing the audience to see their own lives through the role and feel the emotional pulse that still connects across a century.

The charm of stage art lies precisely in "truth" and "freshness." Every performance, even if the lines are memorized by heart, I treat it as the first time to tell the story. The theater is magical, and the actors and the audience are mirrors to each other. When the audience applauds, cheers, laughs, and cries under the stage, the actors are also feeling the audience's joys, sorrows, and observing their current state of life. We can warm each other and nourish each other. The audience in the back row may not be able to see the actor's eyes and expressions clearly, but the resonance of emotions can transcend physical distance and achieve heart-to-heart communication. This wonderful relationship between the audience and the performance is a vivid portrayal of "life is like a play, and play is like life."

Rooted in life, the role can "grow" on the stage. I still remember an exercise in college—carefully observing the people on the street who nail shoes, sell eggs, and bargain. This keen perception of life has gradually become a habit and a lifelong task for me as an actor. Sometimes when I see vivid characters on the road, I will pay attention to observe them as nourishment for future creations.

Now that short dramas are popular, some people wonder: Will serious literature and classical dramas still have a market? In fact, "popularity" and "classic" are not contradictory but dialectically unified. We hope that classics can have popularity and be revitalized; we are also happy to see that popular works can become new classics through the tempering of time. Creators must also maintain the ability to distinguish, knowing what is the popularity worth pursuing and what is the classic that needs to be guarded.

Having "truth" in the heart is the foundation of a good actor. A teacher once taught me: "Be down-to-earth in life and act seriously." This sentence is the pillar in my heart that will never fall. By guarding this original intention, I can always maintain the enthusiasm and power of creation. I am willing to continue to release my life energy on the stage, let the audience and the theater "fill" my heart, and always be a sincere storyteller and messenger.

(The author is an actor, interviewed and compiled by Chen Yuanyuan (陈圆圆), a reporter from this newspaper)

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Studying the Classics and Seeking Truth from Facts: "Academies in Ancient Books" Exhibition Opens

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 19th (Reporter Li Zhuoer (李卓尔)) The opening ceremony of the "Studying the Classics and Honoring Antiquity, Seeking Truth from Facts—Academies in Classics" exhibition was held on the 19th at the National Library of China (国家图书馆).

Ancient Chinese academies were cultural and educational institutions integrating functions such as lecturing, book collection, and book printing. Originating in the Tang Dynasty, perfected in the Song Dynasty, the continuous, extensive, and profound academy culture spread overseas and continues to have an impact today.

The exhibition is divided into three units: "The Dimensions of Academies," "The Style of Zhushui," and "Learning to Carry the Tao," with a special area for "Seeking Truth from Facts," aiming to inherit and promote academy culture, promote the spirit of 实事求是 (shí shì qiú shì - "seek truth from facts," to be practical and realistic), and revitalize the cultural heritage of academies. The exhibition features more than 100 kinds of precious exhibits, using various types of exhibits such as oracle bones, stone carvings, ancient manuscripts, rubbings from metal and stone inscriptions, rare books, and book plates to present academy culture in three dimensions.

The exhibition also features a "Roaming the Academy" real-scene VR experience area, where visitors can use VR glasses to immerse themselves in a tour of Yuelu Academy (岳麓书院) and experience the ancient and modern inheritance of the spirit of 实事求是 (shí shì qiú shì - "seek truth from facts," to be practical and realistic) firsthand. In addition, visitors can also embark on a multi-sensory immersive journey through exhibits such as "Digital Oracle Bones" and "The 'Book' of the Academy."

The exhibition is hosted by the National Library of China (国家图书馆) (National Museum of Classic Books) and co-organized by the First Historical Archives of China (中国第一历史档案馆), Jiangxi Provincial Library (江西省图书馆), Hubei Provincial Library (湖北省图书馆), Yuelu Academy (岳麓书院) of Hunan University (湖南大学), and Sanming University (三明学院).

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Shenzhou-20 spacecraft safely returns to Dongfeng landing site.

(People's Daily, Jiuquan, January 19) (Reporters An Bowen (安博文) and Liu Shiyao (刘诗瑶)) According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office (中国载人航天工程办公室), at 9:34 AM Beijing Time (北京时间) on January 19, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft (神舟二十号飞船) successfully landed at the Dongfeng Landing Site (东风着陆场). On-site inspection confirmed that the exterior of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft return capsule was generally normal, the downlink items inside the capsule were in good condition, and the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft return mission was a complete success.

The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (酒泉卫星发射中心) on April 24, 2025, and successfully docked with the space station. Its return was postponed in early November due to a suspected impact from space debris, and related experiments were carried out in orbit. At 0:23 AM on January 19, 2026, the spacecraft undocked from the space station and returned unmanned. The spacecraft spent 270 days in orbit, verifying its ability to dock in orbit for 9 months.

To reduce the risk of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft's return, on December 9, 2025, the Shenzhou-21 astronaut crew (神舟二十一号航天员乘组) used an extravehicular activity opportunity to take close-range photos of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft return capsule's porthole with a high-definition camera, further confirming the state of the return capsule's porthole cracks. In addition, in conjunction with the emergency launch of the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft (神舟二十二号飞船) in the early stage, a porthole crack disposal device was developed and uploaded, which was installed by the astronauts inside the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft cabin, effectively improving the spacecraft's heat protection and sealing capabilities during the return process.

According to reports, after discovering that the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft's porthole was suspected of being impacted, the mission headquarters quickly organized simulation analysis, experimental verification, and other work, and decisively decided to adjust the mission plan and initiate an emergency plan. On November 14, 2025, the Shenzhou-20 astronaut crew safely returned aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft. On November 25, the emergency launch of the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft was carried out, and China's manned space history's first emergency launch was a complete success. Currently, the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft (神舟二十三号飞船), which is taking over the rolling backup mission, has arrived at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, and the Long March 2F Y23 carrier rocket (长征二号F遥二十三运载火箭) is about to leave the factory and be transported. As of the return of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, the main tasks of this China Space Station (中国空间站) space emergency operation have all been successfully completed.

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China successfully develops first tandem high-energy hydrogen ion implanter

According to a report from the People's Daily, Beijing (北京) on January 19th (Reporter Gu Yekai (谷业凯)), China National Nuclear Corporation (中核集团) announced that China's first tandem high-energy hydrogen ion implanter, independently developed by the China Institute of Atomic Energy (中国原子能科学研究院), has successfully produced a beam, with core indicators reaching advanced international levels. This marks China's comprehensive mastery of the entire chain of R&D technology for tandem high-energy hydrogen ion implanters, overcoming a key link in the power semiconductor manufacturing chain, and laying a solid foundation for promoting independent control of high-end manufacturing equipment and ensuring the security of the industrial chain.

Ion implanters are key equipment for semiconductor manufacturing. In particular, the R&D of high-energy hydrogen ion implanters is difficult and has high technical barriers, and China (中国) has long relied on imports. Relying on decades of deep accumulation in the field of nuclear physics accelerators, the China Institute of Atomic Energy (中国原子能科学研究院) used tandem accelerator technology as the main means to solve a series of problems, completely mastering the forward design capabilities of tandem high-energy hydrogen ion implanters from the underlying principles to the integration of the entire machine, breaking the technological blockade and long-term monopoly of foreign companies in this field. The successful development of this high-energy hydrogen ion implanter is an important achievement of the deep integration of nuclear technology and the semiconductor industry, and will strongly enhance China's (中国) independent security capabilities in key areas such as power semiconductors.

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This edition's editors: Zhi Chunli, Cao Yiqing, Chen Yuanyuan

Layout design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

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Steer the Boat and Forge Ahead Through a Thousand Sails, Unite Hearts and Minds to Usher in a New Era: 2025 Global Dealer Conference

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"Downward Extension" and "Collaboration" in Zhejiang's Vocational Education (Frontline of People's Livelihood: Observations on Vocational Education)

By: 本报记者 吴 丹

Ma Zhuang (马壮) didn't expect his job search to be so smooth.

"It almost skipped the traditional job search process." Ma Zhuang (马壮) is a 2025 graduate of the Valve Design and Manufacturing program at Wenzhou Vocational and Technical College Yongjia College (温州职业技术学院永嘉学院). While participating in an internship at a local company, he and six other classmates were "pre-locked" by the company before graduation due to their excellent performance.

"At Yongjia College (永嘉学院), such employment stories are very common." Li Wuchao (李武朝), Dean of Yongjia College (永嘉学院), introduced that, to date, Yongjia College (永嘉学院) has delivered nearly 300 skilled talents to the local pump and valve industry.

In recent years, Zhejiang's vocational education has cultivated and delivered 400,000 technical and skilled talents to society each year through deepening the integration of industry and education, improving service effectiveness, and carrying out mountain-sea cooperation. It has also widely carried out vocational skills training for key groups such as laborers, especially rural transferred employment laborers, veterans, and people with employment difficulties. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, it has carried out various social training for 8.937 million people. In Zhejiang (浙江), the innovative practice of vocational education is writing a new chapter of common prosperity in which "everyone can become talented and everyone can give full play to their talents."

High Vocational Resources "Sink to the County"

Ma Zhuang's (马壮) successful employment reflects the new trend of Zhejiang's (浙江) high vocational resources "sinking to the county."

Zhejiang's (浙江) block economy industries are concentrated and highly specialized, and each county and city has formed its own unique industrial cluster. Taking Yongjia County (永嘉县) as an example, as the "Hometown of Chinese Pumps and Valves," Yongjia (永嘉) has more than 3,000 pump and valve and supporting enterprises, with a total output value of over 55 billion yuan.

In recent years, with the upgrading and transformation of industries, the demand for highly skilled talents in counties has further increased. However, counties do not have advantages in attracting and retaining talents, which has become an important factor restricting development. The relevant person in charge of the Vocational Education and Adult Education Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education (浙江省教育厅) introduced: "Overall, higher vocational colleges are mainly distributed in provincial capitals and prefecture-level cities."

Cultivating talents themselves has become a common consensus reached by the industrial and vocational education circles in Zhejiang (浙江). Zhejiang (浙江) encourages high-level higher vocational colleges to rely on the regional block characteristic economy, sink to the county to run schools, deepen cooperation with local secondary vocational schools, build the professional chain on the industrial chain, and explore new paths for vocational education to empower the construction of a common prosperity demonstration zone.

In 2021, the Yongjia County Government (永嘉县政府) and Wenzhou Vocational and Technical College (温州职业技术学院) "hit it off" and jointly established the county industrial college - Yongjia College (永嘉学院), and opened majors such as Valve Design and Manufacturing according to the industrial development needs of Yongjia County (永嘉县). Yongjia College (永嘉学院) is only a 5-minute drive from the nearest pump and valve enterprise.

Yongjia College (永嘉学院) adopts the local training model of "recruiting local students, training them locally, and retaining them for local employment," forming a situation of deep integration of vocational education and local enterprises in running schools and collaborative education.

"In the process of 'sinking', we must make education resources and industrial resources closely connected and efficiently linked." Fang Yiquan (方益权), Secretary of the Party Committee of Wenzhou Vocational and Technical College (温州职业技术学院), said, "Moving classrooms to the production line, jointly researching technical problems between schools and enterprises, and enterprise talents entering schools to teach are all normal at Yongjia College (永嘉学院)."

In the autumn semester of 2025, Li Xiangying (李向英), a senior engineer of Zhejiang Bertoli Technology Co., Ltd. (浙江伯特利科技股份有限公司), served as a teacher of the Quality Management System and Certification course at Yongjia College (永嘉学院). "These students may join our company in the future, and I have to teach them carefully." She often shares the latest cases and concepts from the front line of production with students.

Not only Yongjia County (永嘉县), but also many places in Zhejiang (浙江) are promoting the establishment of county branch campuses by higher vocational colleges, exploring and forming various school-running models such as independent campuses of physical industrial colleges, cooperative campuses of physical industrial colleges, and alliance cooperation of non-physical industrial colleges.

In March 2025, Zhejiang (浙江) established the first batch of county industrial college project construction lists, with a total of 27 pilot projects, to further promote the construction of higher vocational colleges.

Zhejiang Gongshang Vocational and Technical College Cixi Intelligent Home Appliance Industry College (浙江工商职业技术学院慈溪智能家电产业学院) and Ninghai Mold Industry College (宁海模具产业学院) were both selected for the construction list. These two industrial colleges have provided more than 70 technical services to enterprises in the two places, authorized nearly 60 invention patents, and trained 32,000 employees.

"After being selected for the list, development will definitely accelerate again." Zhang Qifu (张启富), President of Zhejiang Gongshang Vocational and Technical College (浙江工商职业技术学院), said that in the future, the school will continue to fully integrate advantageous industrial resources into discipline construction, continuously update education standards, and further promote a virtuous cycle of professional production connection, ability-post matching, and staying in the county for employment and entrepreneurship.

Talent Cultivation "Determines Teaching by Production"

From studying at Jinhua Polytechnic (金华职业技术大学) to joining Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (中国商飞上海飞机制造有限公司), Yang Wenxin (杨文昕), a 2025 graduate, successfully completed his workplace "first flight" - joining the assembly process optimization work of a certain aircraft fuselage section three months after graduation.

From campus to workplace, this ability to quickly become competent is due to the "actual combat" training during his time at school. In the Intelligent Precision Manufacturing Industry-Education Park of Jinhua Polytechnic (金华职业技术大学智能化精密制造产教园), Yang Wenxin (杨文昕) deeply participated in the upgrading and transformation project of the park's production line under the guidance of school teachers and enterprise engineers, accumulating experience in solving real engineering problems.

"Learning as you produce and teaching as you research are important directions for our college to promote the reform of 'park courses'." Huang Pengcheng (黄鹏程), Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Intelligent Manufacturing of Jinhua Polytechnic (金华职业技术大学智能制造学院), introduced that "In order to cope with the urgent demand for high-end skilled talents in advanced manufacturing, the college has continued to promote curriculum reform for 10 years, building a complete closed loop of 'industry-education integration - curriculum development - teaching innovation - talent cultivation'."

Looking through the 2025 enrollment major introductions of various higher vocational colleges in Zhejiang (浙江), it is not difficult to find that major settings are undergoing an orderly "addition and subtraction": Zhejiang Pharmaceutical College (浙江药科职业大学) has added majors in medical care and management, and biopharmaceutical technology; Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College of Science and Technology (杭州科技职业技术学院) has added majors in intelligent control technology, new energy vehicle inspection and maintenance technology, and digital media art design; Lishui Vocational and Technical College (丽水职业技术学院) has cancelled majors in international economics and trade, wealth management, and business English...

The change in professional layout reflects the change in economic society. Every "metabolism" is a "synchronous resonance" between education and the development of the times. The relevant person in charge of the Vocational Education and Adult Education Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education (浙江省教育厅) introduced: "In recent years, Zhejiang's (浙江) higher vocational colleges have increased the intensity of professional adjustment and shortened the update cycle. The setting of new majors has always focused on the cultivation of advanced manufacturing clusters and strategic emerging industries and future industries in Zhejiang Province (浙江省), while also withdrawing a number of majors with oversupply, low employment rates, and insufficient core competitiveness."

Data shows that in the past 5 years, Zhejiang (浙江) has cumulatively added 461 higher vocational college major points in intelligent robot technology, microelectronics technology, etc., and adjusted and revoked 254 higher vocational college major points in business administration, applied Japanese, etc. In 2025, Zhejiang (浙江) will deepen the implementation of special construction to meet the needs of industrial transformation and upgrading, and lay out 100 provincial-level high-level professional groups in the second phase.

Mountain and Sea Jointly Draw a "Development Picture"

The school was successfully selected as a construction unit for the Zhejiang Provincial Secondary Vocational "Double High Plan" (浙江省中职“双高计划”), two professional groups were recommended as provincial high-quality secondary vocational education professional (group) construction projects, the teacher team won the second prize in the Zhejiang Provincial Teacher Teaching Ability Competition (浙江省教师教学能力大赛), and students won the silver medal in the World Vocational College Skills Competition (世界职业院校技能大赛)... As a mountainous secondary vocational school, Quzhou Second Secondary Professional School (衢州第二中等专业学校) has "fully blossomed" in recent years and handed over a bright transcript.

The change originated in 2020, when the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education (浙江省教育厅) announced the first batch of "Double High School" paired schools and majors. Ningbo Polytechnic (宁波职业技术大学) and Quzhou Second Secondary School (衢州第二中专) paired up and "joined hands."

After pairing up, the two schools quickly established a liaison mechanism. Ningbo Polytechnic (宁职大) established a leading group for counterpart support work, with the Secretary of the School Party Committee as the leader and the President as the executive deputy leader, and allocated special funds to ensure that the assistance work was deepened and implemented.

Ningbo Polytechnic (宁职大) also took the initiative to share resources, inviting Quzhou Second Secondary School (衢州第二中专) to participate in activities such as the Vocational Education International Summit Forum, providing it with opportunities for cooperation and exchange and vocational education "going overseas."

Zhang Huibo (张慧波), Secretary of the Party Committee of Ningbo Polytechnic (宁职大), introduced that the school's assistance footprint has extended from within the province to outside the province: tailoring a drone "professional innovation integration" teacher team for Aksu Vocational and Technical College (阿克苏职业技术学院) in Aksu City (阿克苏市), Xinjiang (新疆), cumulatively selecting 6 teachers to be stationed and organized more than 10 teachers to provide flexible support; helping Qinghai Qaidam Vocational and Technical College (青海柴达木职业技术学院) consolidate its school-running foundation and improve the quality of education by sharing high-quality digital resources and assisting in the planning of practical training bases; customizing a e-commerce major talent training program for Ruili Vocational Middle School (瑞丽职业中学) in Ruili City (瑞丽市), Yunnan Province (云南省), receiving backbone teachers for follow-up training, and exploring a new model of vocational education of "secondary and higher vocational connection + cross-border ability certification."

One school leads one school, and mountains and seas advance together. In recent years, Zhejiang Tourism Vocational College (浙江旅游职业学院), Zhejiang University of Technology and Vocational Education (浙江工业职业技术学院) and many other high-quality vocational colleges have established paired assistance relationships with vocational colleges in Qinghai (青海), Xinjiang (新疆) and other places. With teacher co-training, professional co-construction, and resource sharing as links, Zhejiang's (浙江) vocational education power is crossing mountains and rivers and injecting vocational education power into common prosperity.

(Zhang Chunchun (张纯纯) participated in writing)

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Turning Fleeting Traffic into Development Increment (Perspective on People's Livelihood)

By: 闵方正

A region should not only have the courage to embrace traffic, but also rely on solid daily skills to strive to transform the temporary popularity of traffic into long-term development increments.

At the beginning of the new year, a "Pig Butchering Feast" originating from rural mutual assistance in Hechuan District (合川区), Chongqing (重庆) gathered thousands of people offline and resonated more widely online, evolving into a highly anticipated cultural tourism phenomenon. The joyful gathering, full of labor, collaboration, and New Year's atmosphere, allowed people to relive the neighborly friendship and harvest joy based on mutual assistance, and also reflects the local responsibility and action.

Taking responsibility lies in the courage to face the "huge traffic." When a surge of attention and a large number of people suddenly come to a previously ordinary village, it is a test for any local government. Facing the disorder that the crowds may bring, the relevant departments in Hechuan District (合川区) did not regard it as a trouble, but as an opportunity, taking the initiative and acting positively. The cultural tourism, transportation, and other departments intervened in a timely manner to ensure safety and order. The local area quickly coordinated materials and donated New Year pigs. A series of actions conveyed the signals of "welcome" and "guarantee." This benign interaction of "spontaneous action by the masses and government support" is not only conducive to protecting the original ecological atmosphere, but also conducive to embracing the enthusiasm of tourists from all over the country.

Taking responsibility lies in the daily cultivation of "internal skills." If the infrastructure is weak, the management is disordered, and the cultural connotation is pale, even the largest traffic can only bring chaos. Hechuan (合川) can respond quickly and smoothly embed cultural tourism services such as scenic spot ticket giveaways and specialty introductions, which is based on the accumulation of daily service system construction.

From the previous upgrading and renovation of the Tao Xingzhi (陶行知) Memorial Hall in Gusheng Village (古圣村) to the large amount of infrastructure construction and tour route development work done around the Diaoyucheng (钓鱼城) site protection and the creation of a 5A-level tourist attraction, the Hechuan (合川) cultural tourism department has been "hard training" on weekdays, committed to building a "basic plate" of reception capacity, so that the local area has the confidence to meet the "traffic" when facing instantaneous large passenger flow. Some places blindly followed suit after the "Pig Butchering Feast" became popular, without fully assessing factors such as venues and supporting facilities. At best, they temporarily called a halt, wasting manpower and money; at worst, they buried potential safety hazards. This is the consequence of not cultivating internal skills on weekdays.

Taking responsibility lies not only in the current response, but also in the construction of the future. The traffic dividend is fleeting. How can it be precipitated into a lasting local cultural brand and tourist attraction? Hechuan (合川) took advantage of the situation to launch the "Pig Butchering Soup Folk Culture Season," publicly soliciting activity plan proposals, and trying to transform the occasional emotional resonance into a sustainable cultural brand and tourism product through systematic brand building, industrial linkage, and continuous marketing.

Many places have cultural tourism anxiety, fearing that traffic will not come and fearing that traffic will be chaotic. The practice of Hechuan (合川) shows that in the face of "huge traffic," a region should not only have the courage to embrace traffic, but also rely on solid daily skills to strive to transform the temporary popularity of traffic into long-term development increments.

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Students feel comfortable, parents feel at ease.

In recent years, Jiangyan District (姜堰区), Taizhou City (泰州市), Jiangsu Province (江苏省) has explored a new path of governance at the "school gate": creating multi-functional "school escort spaces," providing a better environment for students' "personalized" dining according to local conditions; the "one-meter safety channel" allows private cars dropping off students to stop and leave immediately, turning the "congested road" in front of the school gate into a "comfortable road"... A series of thoughtful measures effectively solve the pain points and difficulties of governance, truly making students happy and parents at ease.

The picture shows students of Jiangyan District Experimental Junior High School (姜堰区实验初级中学) in Taizhou City (泰州市), Jiangsu Province (江苏省) enjoying lunch brought by their parents in the "school escort space" on January 19. The "school escort space," transformed from an old shed, has a novel appearance and complete equipment, and is welcomed by students and parents.

Xinhua News Agency (新华社) reporter Ji Chunpeng (季春鹏) photographed.

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National civil aviation passenger traffic during the 2026 Spring Festival travel season is expected to reach 95 million.

According to a press conference held by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (中国民航局) on January 19th, this year's Spring Festival travel season is expected to see a record high in passenger traffic. During the Spring Festival travel season, the flows of people returning home, visiting relatives, students, and the vigorous holiday tourist flows will overlap, further releasing the demand for air travel. It is predicted that the national civil aviation passenger traffic volume during this year's Spring Festival travel season is expected to reach 95 million passengers, with an average daily volume of 2.38 million passengers, an increase of approximately 5.3% year-on-year.

Judging from the current ticket search and booking situation, benefiting from the integration of aviation, culture, and tourism, extended holidays, and the introduction of favorable measures for inbound and outbound travel, popular tourist routes such as ice and snow tourism in the north and winter vacation travel in the south continue to gain attention. Outbound and inbound travel routes are also expected to usher in new travel peaks.

Wang Weijun (王卫军), Deputy Director of the Transportation Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (中国民航局运输司), stated that in order to do a good job in the Spring Festival travel season, the Civil Aviation Administration (民航局) will adhere to the safety bottom line, scientifically allocate capacity, and optimize passenger services to ensure that the people can travel safely, conveniently, and warmly during the Spring Festival travel season, and ensure that aviation logistics channels are smooth and orderly. Judging from the current airlines' advance flight plans, the national civil aviation is expected to guarantee 780,000 flights during this year's Spring Festival travel season, with an average of 19,400 flights per day, an increase of 5% year-on-year, which will effectively guarantee passengers' travel needs.

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National Healthcare Security Administration Launches Pilot Program for "Individual Medical Insurance Cloud" Construction

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 19th (Reporter: Sun Xiuyan (孙秀艳)) - The National Healthcare Security Administration (国家医保局) recently released the "Notice on Launching Pilot Application Work for the Construction of Individual Medical Insurance Cloud." The notice clarifies that in order to innovate medical insurance management methods, promote the deep integration and orderly application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence in the field of medical security, and explore the construction of a new paradigm of smart medical insurance management covering the entire population, the entire life cycle, and all scenarios, it has been decided to launch pilot application work for the construction of "Individual Medical Insurance Cloud."

The notice proposes that the construction of provincial (municipal) individual medical insurance clouds will be based on the nationally unified medical insurance information platform and driven by data elements as the core. By aggregating, managing, and applying multi-dimensional individual medical insurance health data, a precise individual medical insurance profile including individual medical insurance health records, financial records, and information records will be drawn, and it will be transformed into intelligent services that insured individuals can enjoy and feel. Through the pilot program, a batch of individual medical insurance cloud construction and operation models with scientific architecture, vivid data, and significant practical application will be formed.

Drawing individual medical insurance profiles is an important task of the pilot program. The notice requires the construction of dynamic multi-dimensional profiles. Using data analysis technology, multi-dimensional individual profiles will be constructed for insured individuals and updated dynamically. This includes individual medical insurance health records, integrating past medical history, past surgical history, allergy history, diagnosis and treatment records, health monitoring data, etc., to support health risk warnings and medical reference; individual medical insurance financial records, integrating participation and payment, medical expenses, account income and expenditure, etc., to provide cost analysis and medical security recommendations; individual medical insurance information records, collecting basic information, kinship relationships, credit records, etc., to support service association and credit system construction. At the same time, based on the above individual medical insurance record data, data analysis technology will be used to provide insured individuals with a summary of their individual medical insurance profile, comprehensively summarize the situation of enjoying medical security services, and propose personalized health recommendations.

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How to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease (Service Window)

By: 本报记者 施 芳

Recently, well-known filmmaker Jackie Chan (成龙) wrote an article in the media, recalling that his mother had leg problems not long after retirement and needed to use a wheelchair. Her emotions gradually declined, and then she gradually forgot many people and things, until she forgot her own past.

With the sudden change in the pace of life after retirement, how to prevent Alzheimer's disease? What are the early symptoms? The reporter interviewed Tang Yi (唐毅), Executive Vice President and Chief Physician of Neurology at Xuanwu Hospital (宣武医院) of Capital Medical University (首都医科大学).

"The main symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include cognitive decline, impairment of daily living abilities, and non-cognitive neuropsychiatric symptoms," said Tang Yi (唐毅). If you often experience symptoms such as forgetting things in the blink of an eye, forgetting to turn off the gas after cooking, not being able to remember words when they are on the tip of your tongue, putting things in the wrong places, or becoming irritable or introverted, you need to pay attention, be vigilant, and promptly screen for Alzheimer's disease.

Tang Yi (唐毅) introduced that Alzheimer's disease does not only affect the elderly. Studies have shown that one in five patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease is under the age of 60. Unhealthy lifestyles, high life stress, and the younger age of chronic diseases are making more and more middle-aged and young people a potential risk group for Alzheimer's disease.

"For Alzheimer's disease, it is recommended that the public carry out 'three levels of prevention'," said Tang Yi (唐毅). The first level of prevention is to advocate healthy lifestyles among people who have not yet been diagnosed with the disease, such as quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, adhering to physical exercise, and actively participating in social activities; maintaining a balanced diet, controlling weight, and getting enough sleep; reading and thinking diligently to keep the brain active. At the same time, control chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, actively treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hearing impairment, and visual impairment, protect the head, and avoid brain injury.

The second level of prevention is also known as "three early preventions," namely early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment. Studies have shown that the pathophysiological changes of Alzheimer's disease, such as the deposition of β-amyloid protein in the brain, begin to occur 15-20 years before the appearance of clinical symptoms. People over the age of 50 are advised to undergo brain cognitive health screening. If you experience symptoms related to suspected Alzheimer's disease, you should go to the memory clinic of the hospital in time. The stage of mild cognitive impairment is the "golden window period" for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. At this time, although patients often have memory decline and other manifestations, their daily living abilities are mostly unaffected. Timely diagnosis and treatment, including drug and non-drug treatment, are important for delaying the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Non-drug treatment is equally important in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, mainly including scientific cognitive training, that is, training cognitive functions through computerized training and virtual reality training; using exercise therapy, such as aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and balance exercise; and combined cognitive training, exercise training, nutritional intervention, and lifestyle management and other multi-dimensional comprehensive interventions.

The third level of prevention refers to preventing the further development of the disease for patients who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, including symptomatic treatment, rehabilitation treatment, and daily care. Family members should provide patients with daily living care, dietary care, and safety care, ensure the safety of the care environment, reduce the possibility of patients falling and being injured, and avoid situations such as getting lost.

(Li Yaowei (李耀伟) participated in the writing)

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National standard for classification and determination of TCM constitution officially released for the first time

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 19th (Reporters Lin Lili (林丽鹂) and Yang Yanfan (杨彦帆)) - The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) (市场监管总局) (National Standardization Administration (国家标准委)) recently approved and released the recommended national standard "Classification and Determination of Constitution in Traditional Chinese Medicine" (《中医体质分类与判定》) (GB/T 46939—2025). This standard, drafted by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (国家中医药管理局), will officially take effect on April 1st.

"Classification and Determination of Constitution in Traditional Chinese Medicine" specifies the characteristics of the nine basic types of TCM constitutions and the determination of TCM constitution classification, mainly with three characteristics. First, the application scenario covers the entire domain. The standard is applicable to the entire field of medical treatment, public health, scientific research, teaching, and the health industry, providing a basis for judgment for disease prevention centers, physical examination institutions, and primary medical care. Second, the characteristics of the constitution are evidence-based and innovative. According to the latest TCM constitution research results from 2009 to 2024, the characteristic descriptions of TCM constitutions such as balanced constitution, Qi deficiency constitution, Yang deficiency constitution, Yin deficiency constitution, Phlegm-dampness constitution, Damp-heat constitution, Blood stasis constitution, Qi stagnation constitution, and Special constitution, the latest results with better evidence-based evidence are selected as the basis, reflecting the latest research results of TCM constitution science. Third, the method of constitution identification is determined. In the standard, the complex and professional constitution category determination is carried out by selecting typical physical problems representing different constitutions, and matching the corresponding level scoring algorithm, forming a standardized determination method, and promoting the development and promotion of constitution identification.

The release and implementation of this standard marks a new stage of more standardized and standardized development of TCM constitution science, and will provide strong support for improving the national health literacy and optimizing the health service model.

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This edition's editors: Cheng Chen, Qin Ruijie, Min Fangzheng

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China to Strengthen Systematic Protection of Yangtze Finless Porpoises (Beautiful China)

By: 本报记者 郁静娴

Core Reading

In recent years, the natural population of the Yangtze finless porpoise has achieved a historic turnaround, showing restorative growth, and protection efforts have achieved certain results.

To consolidate the protection achievements of the Yangtze finless porpoise, eight departments recently jointly released and implemented the Aquatic Wildlife Rescue Action Plan. Through controlling human activities in the waters, restoring ecosystem functions, and actively promoting the deep integration of high technology and ecological protection, the plan promotes the focus of Yangtze finless porpoise protection from "rescue protection" to "systematic restoration."

Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (农业农村部), together with the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委), the Ministry of Public Security (公安部), the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (生态环境部), the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部), the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部), the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (国家林草局), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), jointly issued the "Yangtze Finless Porpoise Rescue Action Plan (2026-2035)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan").

This is China's first national key protected aquatic wildlife rescue action plan jointly released and implemented by multiple departments. It is a comprehensive upgrade based on the "Yangtze Finless Porpoise Rescue Action Plan (2016-2025)" issued and implemented by the former Ministry of Agriculture, providing guidance for the systematic protection and comprehensive restoration of the Yangtze finless porpoise and its habitat. Regarding the protection situation of the Yangtze finless porpoise and the highlights of this round of action plan, the reporter interviewed relevant units and experts.

The protection situation of the Yangtze finless porpoise has improved, but the survival pressure has not been eliminated.

The Yangtze finless porpoise is the only freshwater cetacean animal existing in China, mainly distributed in the main stream of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Dongting Lake (洞庭湖), Poyang Lake (鄱阳湖), and a few tributaries. Its survival status directly reflects the health of the Yangtze River ecosystem. Affected by human activities, the population of the Yangtze finless porpoise decreased from 2,700 in the 1990s to 1,012 in 2017, experiencing a stage of rapid decline.

Based on a systematic assessment of the survival status and protection needs of the Yangtze finless porpoise, the former Ministry of Agriculture released the "Yangtze Finless Porpoise Rescue Action Plan (2016-2025)" in 2016, successively established 8 Yangtze finless porpoise protection zones, implemented emergency protection and rescue under extreme weather, and promoted the restoration of Yangtze finless porpoise habitats; established 5 ex-situ conservation groups of Yangtze finless porpoises, with the total number of ex-situ groups now exceeding 150; organized and carried out experimental wild release of Yangtze finless porpoises to supplement the natural population; and established 2 fully artificially raised groups, successfully breeding and surviving 5 Yangtze finless porpoises.

According to the 2022 Yangtze finless porpoise scientific survey data (a census every 5 years), the natural population of the Yangtze finless porpoise is 1,249, an increase of 23.4% in 5 years, achieving a historic turnaround; the preliminary results of the 2025 special survey show that the natural population of the Yangtze finless porpoise is showing restorative growth, and protection efforts have achieved certain results.

However, the survival of the Yangtze finless porpoise is still threatened. Experts pointed out that the natural habitat of the Yangtze finless porpoise highly overlaps with human activities, and its survival pressure has not been eliminated. According to reports, there are many factors restricting the recovery of the wild population of the Yangtze finless porpoise, including entanglement by debris and ship collisions, as well as the destruction of floodplains, the loss of important habitat functions, the blockage of migration channels, and the superimposed impact of extreme climates such as drought and freezing. At the same time, there are still shortcomings and weaknesses in the current protection capacity and protection mechanism of the Yangtze finless porpoise. Overall, the protection situation is still not optimistic.

Under the background of the Yangtze River's major protection and the ten-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River, how to consolidate the protection achievements of the Yangtze finless porpoise is an important issue that needs to be solved urgently in the current protection work of the Yangtze finless porpoise, and it is also an important content clarified in the "Action Plan."

The focus of this round of protection has shifted from "rescue protection" to "systematic restoration."

In the previous round of the "Action Plan," focusing on the important issue of "how to implement rescue protection," it systematically deployed four major directions and their 9 key contents, including in-situ conservation, ex-situ conservation, artificial breeding, and germplasm resource preservation, initially constructing a multi-level protection system framework.

The relevant负责人 (fù zé rén - "person in charge," responsible person) of the Yangtze River Basin Fishery Administration Supervision and Management Office (长江流域渔政监督管理办公室) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (农业农村部) introduced that compared with the previous round of the "Action Plan," this round of the "Action Plan" is based on the phased achievements of previous protection, focusing on long-term ecosystem restoration, and aiming at promoting the sustainable growth of the Yangtze finless porpoise population as a higher goal. This marks an important shift in protection work from rescue protection to systematic restoration.

This round of the "Action Plan" proposes a working idea of protecting the Yangtze finless porpoise and its habitat as the core, and ex-situ conservation and artificial breeding as auxiliary measures. It deploys ten major protection and restoration actions, including standardized supervision of water-related activities, restoration of important habitat environments, intelligent monitoring, assessment, and early warning, and tackling key artificial breeding technologies, covering the entire life history of the Yangtze finless porpoise.

From controlling human activities in the waters to restoring ecosystem functions, many specific actions reflect the scientific and systematic nature of protection work. For example, the standardized supervision action of water-related activities systematically includes high-intensity human activities such as large-scale water conservancy projects, sand mining, channel regulation, and ship navigation into the unified supervision scope of multiple departments for the first time.

The important habitat environment restoration action proposes to actively restore floodplains, connect migration channels, and implement ecological regulation adapted to the survival needs of the Yangtze finless porpoise, aiming to rebuild important habitats for the Yangtze finless porpoise to forage and raise young.

The artificial breeding technology tackling action clarifies the "timetable" for technological breakthroughs, proposes a full-chain technical route for artificial breeding, and simultaneously promotes the construction of a multi-dimensional genetic resource bank, building a full-temperature zone sample preservation system from normal temperature to ultra-low temperature. Experts said that moving from "protection-oriented" to "protection and breeding combined" is not only conducive to expanding the scale of artificial populations, but also ensures the preservation of important genetic resources in extreme situations, demonstrating a long-term strategic layout.

The scientific and standardized wild release action elevates "wild release" to an independent action for the first time, and plans to build a dedicated training water area, demonstrating China's systematic leap from rescue intervention to technology-led protection of endangered aquatic organisms.

The protection methods and mechanisms of the Yangtze finless porpoise are constantly innovating.

At present, the protection of the Yangtze finless porpoise has entered a new stage characterized by "high-quality and sustainable population recovery." In response to the complexity and systematic nature of protection, the "Action Plan" strengthens innovation breakthroughs in technology and mechanisms.

In terms of protection technology, it promotes the deep integration of high technology and ecological protection, systematically introducing and deploying an integrated intelligent monitoring technology system of "air-space-ground-water" such as intelligent acoustic monitoring network, environmental DNA technology, satellite remote sensing, drone patrol, and artificial intelligence image recognition, which can not only realize real-time tracking and health assessment of population dynamics, but also accurately warn and predict risks such as ship collisions. Experts said that this shift greatly improves the accuracy, scientificity, and timeliness of population dynamic tracking, habitat assessment, and threat factor identification.

In terms of support and guarantee, it builds a collaborative protection network of cross-departmental, cross-regional, and multi-party co-governance, strengthens the division of responsibilities and policy linkage of multiple departments such as agriculture and rural affairs, development and reform, public security, ecology and environment, transportation, water conservancy, forestry and grassland, and promotes the deep participation of scientific research institutions, social organizations, and the public, forming a protection synergy of information sharing, responsibility sharing, and coordinated action.

The relevant 负责人 (fù zé rén - "person in charge," responsible person) of the Yangtze River Basin Fishery Administration Supervision and Management Office (长江流域渔政监督管理办公室) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (农业农村部) said that the "Action Plan" has formulated short-term goals (2026-2030) and long-term goals (2031-2035) for natural populations, ex-situ populations, and artificial breeding, drawing a clear strategic blueprint for protection work. With the continuous recovery of natural populations, the Yangtze finless porpoise will witness the continuous improvement of the Yangtze River's ecological health and show a beautiful picture of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

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China to Select a Batch of Zero-Carbon Factories Starting This Year

According to a report from our newspaper in Beijing (北京) on January 19th (reporter Liu Wenxin (刘温馨)), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) and four other departments recently jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Carrying Out Zero-Carbon Factory Construction Work," deeply exploring the potential for energy conservation and carbon reduction in the industrial and information technology fields, driving carbon reduction, efficiency enhancement, and green and low-carbon transformation in key industries and fields, and cultivating the development of new quality productive forces.

As a new model and form of green, low-carbon, and high-quality development, zero-carbon factories emphasize the continuous reduction of carbon dioxide emissions within the factory area through systematic emission reduction measures such as technological innovation, structural adjustment, and management optimization, fully tapping into emission reduction potential.

It is reported that zero-carbon factories are not absolutely "zero" carbon dioxide emissions, but rather achieve the greatest possible reduction under current technological and economic conditions, continuously improving and maintaining the lowest level of carbon dioxide emissions from the factory. In recent years, some regions have explored the implementation of (near) zero-carbon factory pilots by issuing construction guidelines, evaluation indicator systems, and other documents, and have released lists of over a hundred (near) zero-carbon factories.

The opinions implement phased and graded cultivation, prioritizing industries with urgent decarbonization needs, energy consumption mainly based on electricity, and relatively low decarbonization difficulty to explore first, gradually improving relevant planning and design, energy supply, process technology, management operations, and business models, and gradually promoting to industries with high carbon emission intensity and high decarbonization difficulty when conditions are mature.

The opinions propose that starting in 2026, a number of zero-carbon factories will be selected to serve as benchmark leaders; by 2027, a number of zero-carbon factories will be cultivated and built in industries such as automobiles, lithium batteries, photovoltaics, electronic appliances, light industry, machinery, and computing power facilities; and by 2030, they will be gradually expanded to industries such as steel, non-ferrous metals, petrochemicals, building materials, and textiles, exploring new paths for decarbonization in traditional high-energy-consuming industries.

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Guangxi's total seedling output has exceeded 1.1 billion for five consecutive years.

According to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Forestry Bureau (广西壮族自治区林业局), the total output of Guangxi's (广西) forest tree seedlings reached 1.177 billion in 2025, maintaining above 1.1 billion for five consecutive years, with 462 million seedlings in nurseries at the end of the year.

In recent years, Guangxi (广西) has continuously improved its forest tree seed and seedling production system, and has built a reasonable layout, distinctive features, covering the entire region of seed and seedling production pattern. At present, the region has built 61 various types of forest tree improved seed production bases, 40 general forest tree seed collection bases, and 2,273 various nurseries, providing strong support for high-quality forestry development.

The 2025 annual report on forest tree seed and seedling statistics and supply and demand analysis shows that Guangxi's (广西) seed and seedling production and supply base is becoming more stable, and the steady increase in the utilization rate of improved varieties is the primary feature. In 2025, the proportion of improved varieties of Guangxi (广西) forest tree seeds reached 28.11%, an increase of 2 percentage points over the previous year; the proportion of improved seedlings reached 51.0%, and the utilization rate of improved varieties of main afforestation tree species increased to 85.6%.

While ensuring the supply of traditional tree species, Guangxi (广西) actively promotes the structural adjustment of afforestation tree species. In 2025, seedlings of traditional main afforestation tree species such as eucalyptus, oil tea, and Chinese fir accounted for 70% of the total output, with sufficient supply. At the same time, the seedling production of native precious tree species such as *Machilus pauhoi* and *Acacia mangium* has achieved explosive growth: the seedling production of *Machilus pauhoi* was 9.4214 million, an increase of nearly 2.64 times year-on-year; the seedling production of *Acacia mangium* was 9.5132 million, achieving a doubled growth; the seedling production of *Castanopsis hystrix* was 4.8573 million, an increase of 209,000 over 2024.

According to the person in charge of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Forestry Bureau (广西壮族自治区林业局), the demand for afforestation and greening seedlings in Guangxi (广西) in 2026 is about 660 million, slightly higher than the actual consumption in 2025. With the continuous advancement of key projects such as the construction of national reserve forests, the subsequent development of the oil tea industry, and the improvement of forest quality, the demand for improved seedlings, native precious tree species, characteristic economic forest tree species, and greening seedlings with strong ornamental value and good adaptability will continue to be strong.

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Hainan Completes First Survey of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources

This newspaper's Haikou (海口) January 19th dispatch (Reporter Dong Zeyang (董泽扬)) reported: A reporter learned from the Hainan Province (海南省) Forestry Bureau (林业局) that by the end of 2025, Hainan (海南) completed the province's first survey and collection of forest and grass germplasm resources, surveying 3,101 species of forest and grass plants and collecting 3,927 germplasm resources.

According to reports, Hainan (海南) surveyed 3,101 species of forest and grass germplasm resources belonging to 233 families and 1,343 genera, including 2,552 species of wild forest and grass and 549 species of cultivated (including escaped and naturalized) plants. 123,800 pictures were collected, more than 50,000 pieces of germplasm resource data were recorded, 3,927 germplasm resources were collected, 6,274 DNA samples were collected, 8,380 specimens were collected, and 201 germplasm resources of plants with potential greening, energy, and other economic values were bred.

This survey also yielded a number of important findings, confirming a total of 8 new records (new distributions) and naturalized species in Hainan (海南), such as Heliotropium foertherianum, discovering a suspected new species of herbaceous Acanthaceae, and re-recording the woody plant Heritiera littoralis, which had not been seen in the wild for nearly 70 years, as well as 12 extremely rare species that have not been reported for many years, such as Crotalaria yajzhouensis and Hainan Staurogyne. At the same time, 136 excellent single plants, 97 excellent forest stands, and 10 special germplasm resources such as Dalbergia odorifera were selected, providing valuable materials for subsequent breeding and seed industry innovation.

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Multiple Regions and Departments Actively Respond to Cold Wave

At 18:00 on the 19th, the National Meteorological Center issued four warnings simultaneously: continuing to issue a Yellow Alert for cold waves, a Yellow Alert for blizzards, a Yellow Alert for ice, and a Blue Alert for strong winds.

"The temperature drop during this cold wave, rain, snow, and ice event is drastic, with blizzards and freezing rain affecting a wide area. The Jianghuai, Jianghan, and Jiangnan regions will experience phase transitions of rain, sleet, and snow. Hunan (湖南) and Guizhou (贵州) will experience heavy and prolonged freezing rain," said Ma Xuekuan (马学款), chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center (中央气象台). He added that the "behind-the-scenes driver" of this cold wave is a strong cold air mass from Siberia. This cold air system is gradually advancing from north to south, affecting most of central and eastern China. Unlike common cold waves, this process is not a "sudden rush" southward, but rather a gradual infiltration through diffusion. It is characterized by a strong cold air force, a wide range of impact, a long duration, and a large temperature drop.

Accompanying this cold wave, widespread rain and snow will occur successively from north to south in central and eastern China. The precipitation phase in the area south of the Qinling Mountains (秦岭) to the Huai River (淮河) is complex, with transitions between rain, snow, and freezing rain. Moderate to heavy snow or sleet will occur in southeastern Northwest China, southern North China, Huanghuai, Jianghan, western Jianghuai, and northern Jiangnan, with blizzards in some areas. Freezing rain will occur in parts of central and southern Hubei (湖北), southwestern Anhui (安徽), northwestern Jiangxi (江西), Hunan (湖南), and Guizhou (贵州). Among these, the freezing rain in Guizhou (贵州), Hunan (湖南), and other places will last for 2-3 days, with freezing rain amounts reaching 5-10 millimeters.

It is expected that from the 20th to the 21st, the rain, snow, and ice in the south will gradually weaken, but the temperature will continue to "bottom out," and the cold will not immediately subside. After the 23rd, the temperature in the southern region will see a significant rebound, and the temperature in the area south of the Yangtze River (长江) may even return to and slightly exceed the normal level for the same period, gradually alleviating the low-temperature and severe cold weather.

Experts remind that due to the rapid temperature drop, wide range of rain and snow, and complex precipitation phase of this cold wave, the southern region is particularly significantly affected. It is necessary to focus on preventing secondary risks such as road icing, damage to power and communication facilities, and agricultural freezing damage caused by the combination of low temperature and freezing rain. For the public, it is essential to pay attention to slip and freeze prevention when going out, take good warming measures, and protect their own travel and health safety.

Anhui Province (安徽省) activated a Level IV emergency response for low-temperature rain, snow, and ice disasters for 9 cities at 18:00 on the 18th. Since the 17th, Anhui (安徽) expressway operating units have strictly implemented a 24-hour duty and early warning "call response" mechanism, and pre-positioned sufficient emergency equipment and materials in key areas prone to icing, such as bridges and tunnels.

The Henan Provincial Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief Committee (河南省防灾减灾救灾委员会) activated a Level IV emergency response for low-temperature rain, snow, and ice disasters at 16:00 on the 18th. Currently, all 211 emergency material reserve points on Henan (河南) expressways have been fully activated, more than 6,700 maintenance personnel are on standby, and all more than 200 security stations set up in key areas such as critical hubs have been put into operation.

The Hunan Provincial Emergency Management Committee (湖南省应急委员会) launched a Level IV emergency response for low-temperature rain, snow, and ice disasters at 16:00 on the 19th, and simultaneously launched a Level IV emergency response for natural disaster relief. Transportation, traffic police, expressways and other departments work together to increase patrols on key road sections such as expressways and national and provincial trunk lines, and organize transportation capacity to ensure the transportation of key materials and people's livelihood materials. Increase the investigation and monitoring of gas and water supply networks and bridge tunnels to ensure stable supply.

At 17:00 on the 18th, the Guizhou Provincial Meteorological Bureau (贵州省气象局) launched a Level IV emergency response for cold waves and low-temperature freezing. Guizhou Expressway Group (贵州高速集团) formed 60 emergency teams to increase patrols on road sections such as bridges, tunnels, and slopes that are prone to freezing. At the same time, more than 60 mobile heating devices were added to 124 pairs of service areas, and the normal operation of charging guns and water and power supply systems was ensured to provide hot water, instant noodles, etc. for stranded drivers and passengers.

(Our reporters Jiang Xuehong (蒋雪鸿), Luo Yangqi (罗阳奇), Zhang Wenhao (张文豪), Yang Xun (杨迅), and Su Bin (苏滨))

■ Further Reading
The Mechanism of Freezing Rain Formation

The mechanism of typical freezing rain formation lies in the "cold and warm misalignment" temperature structure in the high and low altitudes.

The cold wave causes the ground and lower atmosphere temperature to drop rapidly below zero degrees Celsius, but due to the high temperature in the early stage and the development of southwest airflow, a "temperature inversion layer" formed by a warm air higher than zero degrees Celsius appears at a height of 2000-3000 meters above the ground, like covering the cold air at low altitude with a layer of "warm quilt." When the ice crystals in the high altitude fall, they melt into liquid raindrops after passing through the middle warm layer, and then enter the lower atmosphere below zero degrees Celsius, they become supercooled water droplets. These water droplets will immediately form freezing rain when they touch the surface of objects.

Due to the low cloud height, many areas where freezing rain occurred during this cold wave process did not form a clear ice crystal layer, and the freezing rain was directly formed by low-level supercooled raindrops.

Freezing rain can lead to disasters such as road icing and power line icing. The combined effect of continuous low temperature and freezing weather will bring greater risks to transportation, power, agriculture, and other industries.

(Organized by our reporter Jiang Xuehong (蒋雪鸿))

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Stronger geomagnetic activity possible from the 20th to the 21st

Beijing, January 19th (Reporter Jiang Xuehong (蒋雪鸿)) According to the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), at approximately 02:09 Beijing time on January 19th, solar active region 14341 erupted with an X1.9 class flare. This is the first X-class major flare to appear on the sun in 2026.

Currently, with the decrease in X-ray flux, this flare process has ended. Since China (中国) was in nighttime when the flare occurred, it did not affect the ionosphere and shortwave radio communications in the corresponding region. This flare was also accompanied by coronal mass ejection (CME) activity. Because the eruption area is relatively aligned with the Earth, a full halo CME has formed.

Affected by this, it is expected that relatively strong geomagnetic activity may occur from the 20th to the 21st. The National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center (国家空间天气监测预警中心) stated that it will pay close attention to the latest developments of the sun and provide relevant services for everyone in a timely manner.

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This edition's editors: Chen Juan, Yang Xiaoyu, Dong Wenxin

Layout Design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

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This Football Academy Garners 11 National Championships in 4 Years (Building a Sports Powerhouse: Observations on Football Youth Training)

By: 本报记者 王 者 唐天奕

On the evening of January 17th, Beijing time, in the U23 Asian Cup quarter-final held in Saudi Arabia, the Chinese team defeated the Uzbekistan team in a penalty shootout, advancing to the semi-finals and creating history. In this match, Peng Xiao (彭啸) from Shandong Taishan Football Club (山东泰山足球俱乐部) played the entire game, making several key clearances, and steadily scoring in the penalty shootout, helping the team advance as desired.

In this U23 Asian Cup squad, in addition to Peng Xiao (彭啸), the professional careers of two other players also started at the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) founded by the Taishan Club. Since its establishment in 1999, the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) has cumulatively sent 326 players to national teams at all levels and 380 players to the three-tier domestic professional leagues. From 2022 to 2025, the football school's various echelons have won a total of 11 national youth event titles, and many players have gradually gained a foothold in national teams of various age groups. With 11 national championships in 4 years, how did this football school achieve it? The reporter conducted an on-site visit.

Resource sharing, retired famous players transform into coaches

For the players of Shandong U18 Men's Football Team (山东U18男足), last year's 15th National Games was an unforgettable journey. The team advanced all the way to the final, regrettably losing to the Liaoning team (辽宁队) in a penalty shootout. After the game, then-head coach Zhou Haibin (周海滨) high-fived each player, encouraging them to face the defeat directly. This team was based on the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) U18 echelon he coached.

Before retiring, Zhou Haibin (周海滨) played many positions: defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, winger... On the training ground of the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) in Weifang, Shandong (山东潍坊), he temporarily acted as a goalkeeper.

Standing in front of the goal, Zhou Haibin (周海滨) was not in a hurry to make saves. He pointed to the wall of players on the field and explained the key points of corner kicks to the players. The players took turns practicing, and he kept a close eye on everyone's movements, giving instructions from time to time: "The direction of the ball is good, but the angle is a bit low..."

Having spent nearly 4 years with them day and night, Zhou Haibin (周海滨) has long regarded these teenagers as his own children. What is most important when being a youth training coach? "Patience," he blurted out.

Since 2021, in order to solve the problem of connecting youth training with professional football, the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) has begun to implement a "highly integrated" strategy. The youth training echelons of the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) and the club's first team are unified in football philosophy, technical style, tactical system, and training mode. One of the major measures includes hiring retired Taishan team (泰山队) stars such as Han Peng (韩鹏), Zhou Haibin (周海滨), Cui Peng (崔鹏), and Wang Qiang (汪强) as coaches for various youth training echelons.

At the beginning of 2022, Zhou Haibin (周海滨) came to the football school and took over the then-U15 echelon. At first, the young players were a little "afraid" of Zhou Haibin's (周海滨) fame and could not let go both on and off the field. While Zhou Haibin (周海滨) was thinking about how to make friends with these children who were in their adolescence, he also helped them "catch up" - the children's basic football skills were too weak.

In order to hone the technical style of rapid offensive and defensive transitions, Zhou Haibin (周海滨) also attached great importance to the cultivation of players' decision-making ability. "In high-intensity, high-confrontation games, the ability to make decisions and find the optimal solution in the shortest time is crucial." In order to meet the requirements, the players gradually developed the habit of observing patiently and thinking quickly on the field.

The teenagers grew up day by day. In 4 years, they successively won 4 championship trophies in events such as the China Youth League and the Chinese Football Association Youth Football Championship, and Zhou Haibin (周海滨) also won the title of "Best Coach" 3 times. Among them, 3 championships were won by "fighting bigger with smaller" across age groups, which is also an innovation in the competition system in the "highly integrated" strategy - players aged 15 and above challenge higher-level events.

"They may not be able to keep up with the players of higher age groups in terms of speed and physical fitness, but they can use technology to 'catch up'," said Zhou Haibin (周海滨). "Results are very important and can enhance the players' confidence. But we cannot be result-oriented and must put the personal growth of the players first."

Although they failed to win the championship in the 15th National Games, the players still adhere to their dreams. Standing at a critical crossroads, they are eager to step onto the professional football field next. Zhou Haibin (周海滨), who is now the head coach of the U15 National Team, is full of expectations for their future.

Training "on technology", competition on intensity

In November last year, the reporter walked into the training ground of the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) and witnessed an intra-team scrimmage of the Taishan U16 echelon. After changing into football shoes and clothing, the players put on a black vest over their jerseys. Walking to the black metal box on the side of the field, they picked up a data collector marked with their own number and fixed it in the pocket on the back of the vest.

As the game began, the players competed fiercely. On the sidelines, Wang Xu (王旭), the assistant coach of the echelon responsible for analyzing the data, stared intently at the computer screen.

Player Li Junpeng (李钧鹏) accelerated to complete a steal, and his maximum sprint speed was fed back to the computer screen in real time. As the game progressed, various on-field data such as the player's maximum sprint speed, total running distance, and comprehensive load popped up one after another.

In 2018, the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) and the first team simultaneously introduced this set of wearable equipment. Through the equipment, the coaching staff can accurately grasp and analyze the various sports indicators of the players in detail, making training more scientific and targeted.

During the halftime break, Wang Xu (王旭) took the first-half data to the echelon head coach Wang Qiang (汪强). "Junpeng (钧鹏), your high-intensity running distance is less than 1000 meters." Combining the data, Wang Qiang (汪强) reminded, "You have to be more active in the second half and rush forward."

After implementing the "highly integrated" strategy, the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) referred to the first team's personnel configuration and equipped each age group echelon with a dedicated assistant coach responsible for technical analysis, a full-time team doctor, and a rehabilitation therapist.

"For every moment of losing and scoring a goal, I will use video software to restore the trajectory of the ball and review it with the players," Wang Xu (王旭) said. For every important game, Wang Xu (王旭) will shoot and edit the game video.

In 2024, in a game of the China Youth League U15 group, Li Junpeng (李钧鹏) lost possession of the ball 10 times throughout the game. After the game, Wang Xu (王旭) edited a video overnight and analyzed the moments of mistakes frame by frame with Li Junpeng (李钧鹏). "This helps me to find my shortcomings more accurately and train more purposefully," said Li Junpeng (李钧鹏).

Training "on technology", competition must also be on intensity. The Taishan Football School (泰山足校) "builds a stage" for players of various echelons, helping players improve their skills through high-quality games. After having more opportunities to show up, Li Junpeng (李钧鹏) quickly stood out and was selected for the national youth training camp many times.

In July 2025, at the "Peace Cup" International Football Championship held in Shenyang, Liaoning (辽宁沈阳), Li Junpeng (李钧鹏), as the captain of the U16 National Team, cramped in both legs in a game and was finally carried off the field on a stretcher. This fearless spirit won praise from fans.

"'In the 'Peace Cup' competition, 8 players in the U16 National Team came from the Taishan Football School (泰山足校)," said Ma Baogang (马宝刚), competition and training director of the Taishan Football Club (泰山足球俱乐部). "The echelon adopts the first team's tactical system and training mode, which helps young players adapt to the rhythm of high-intensity events earlier and fully improve the efficiency of talent cultivation."

Exercise adaptability, strengthen personnel exchanges

"'Scalding feet'," Shi Songchen (史松宸), 20 years old this year, first used these two words to describe his feelings when he recalled his first joint training session with the first team. "Nervous and cramped, as if I couldn't play football."

That was in January 2023, when Shi Songchen (史松宸) received a notice from the first team to be transferred up and came to the Taishan Football Club (泰山足球俱乐部) in Jinan (济南) from the football school.

Shi Songchen (史松宸) is from Dalian, Liaoning (辽宁大连). He was sent to the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) for trial training by his parents when he was 11 years old. He has outstanding physical condition and a calm personality. After the trial training, he not only successfully stayed in the football school, but also grew rapidly and was later selected for the U16 National Team.

Shi Songchen (史松宸) and other good seedlings of youth training have received much attention from the club. In order to let youth training players feel the rhythm and atmosphere of the professional team up close, the club has arranged for the first team to conduct training camps at the football school many times to strengthen exchanges between different teams.

"At that time, I was looking forward to becoming one of them as soon as possible." Soon, Shi Songchen (史松宸) waited for the opportunity. Before the start of the 2023 Chinese Super League season, the Shandong Taishan first team (山东泰山一线队) transferred 12 young players including Shi Songchen (史松宸) from the football school to participate in the training camp.

When he first arrived, Shi Songchen (史松宸) was a little uncomfortable, but he told himself: "Every minute here is teaching me to grow, and I must complete every lesson."

"Psychological resilience is an important factor that supports athletes to fight on the field," said Wang Jun (王军), vice president of the Taishan Football School (泰山足校). "Football school coaches will pay special attention to the psychological quality of echelon players in daily training. Next, we will also introduce psychological training models from high-level foreign clubs."

On the training ground, the "old brothers" in the team also passed on their experience to Shi Songchen (史松宸). In one training session, Shi Songchen (史松宸) made a mistake in defense. Zheng Zheng (郑铮), a player from the first team, specially reviewed it with him during the training break and gave suggestions. In this kind of "passing on and leading", young players gradually shed their immaturity.

The upward channel continues to be smooth. In July 2025, Peng Xiao (彭啸), a young player from the Taishan B team, successfully entered the first team roster with his excellent performance in the China League Two and successfully completed his Chinese Super League debut, showing the adaptability of "plug and play". In the 2025 season, Peng Xiao (彭啸) played 11 times on behalf of the Shandong Taishan first team (山东泰山一线队) and performed well.

Since the implementation of the "highly integrated" strategy, the youth training work of the Taishan Football School (泰山足校) has steadily improved. At the same time, multiple challenges still exist: local coaches have more room for improvement in tactical concepts, data analysis, and personalized training; the football school is limited by funds and cannot equip all echelons with high-level foreign teachers; the basic skills of players continue to improve, but there are shortcomings in reading the game, especially the lack of continuous observation and dynamic adjustment ability of foreign players of the same age. "Next, we need to further straighten out the connection mechanism between youth training and the first team, so that young players who are at a critical stage of growth can receive more high-level competition training to avoid stagnation," said Ma Baogang (马宝刚).

"Since the establishment of the Taishan Football School (泰山足校), the proportion of youth training players who have gone to the professional arena has reached 40%. Our long-term goal is to cultivate more top players and contribute more to the development of football," said Zhou Peijian (周培建), deputy secretary of the Party Committee and general manager of Shandong Taishan Football Club (山东泰山足球俱乐部).

This issue is coordinated by: Gao Ji (高佶)

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Maintain a Good Pace for More Efficient Catch-Up (Reporter's Notes)

By: 唐天奕

"Our youth training work is progressing, and those in the lead have not stopped." In an interview, Zhou Haibin's (周海滨) words brought up a common concern among many football workers: facing the gap, how to catch up more efficiently?

It may be helpful to learn from the experience of long-distance runners: focus on pacing, both speeding up in time at key points to maintain momentum, and slowing down appropriately when needed to maintain focus.

Speeding up in time requires accelerating the breakthrough in action. Shandong Taishan Football School (山东泰山足校) directly confronts the pain points of development, integrates echelon resources, and opens up connection channels. Looking at the whole country, many places have established youth training centers at all levels, accelerating the construction of a football youth training system and accelerating the cultivation of football talents with international competitiveness through efficient execution and diversified exploration. The Chinese team's advancement to the semi-finals of the U23 Asian Cup demonstrates the solid achievements of China's football youth training work in recent years. Peng Xiao (彭啸) grew up in Taishan Football School (泰山足校), Hu Hetao (胡荷韬) emerged from the Sichuan Chengdu Football Association (四川成都足协) youth training system, Wang Yudong (王钰栋) has become a shining name card of Zhejiang (浙江) youth training, and Li Hao (李昊) went to Madrid (马德里), Spain (西班牙) to pursue his dream as a teenager... The emergence of young figures benefits from the support of various youth training platforms, and also accumulates strength for the future of Chinese football.

Slowing down appropriately requires unloading the short-sightedness of "winning in the present" in mentality. Catching up is not an impetuous "taking three steps in two," but to maintain focus and devote long-term patience, and to implant a positive and healthy football culture into the texture of youth training. At Taishan Football School (泰山足校), street football matches are very popular among young players. Children stimulate their potential and nurture their love for football in mixed confrontations and free play. Cultivating a good youth training ecology is to start with cultivating interest and promoting the all-round development of people, and to cultivate a healthy soil for the continuous growth of football teenagers.

Focusing on pacing, finding the right balance between the long cycle of talent cultivation and the realistic demands of competitive performance, China's football catch-up road will open up a new path for revitalization and development.

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Developing Basketball IQ: The Sooner, the Better (Sports Talk)

By: 马宝刚

For young players, the importance of cultivating football IQ even surpasses technique itself, and is one of the key factors determining their growth ceiling.

In a football match, the situation changes rapidly. A well-timed through ball can tear apart the entire defense, and a preemptive defensive positioning can promptly block the opponent's attack. Making decisions in an instant tests a player's football IQ—that is, the comprehensive ability to observe, analyze, and quickly make the best judgment.

For young players, the importance of cultivating football IQ even surpasses technique itself, and is one of the key factors determining their growth ceiling. Take Spanish player Pedri as an example. Before receiving the ball, he habitually scans frequently, discovers hidden spaces in crowded areas, and quickly judges the situation and makes choices. He is good at creating opportunities for teammates through changes in rhythm, still provides support by running without possession, and finds the best passing route in pressing. His excellent football IQ makes him an indispensable member of the team.

Currently, the emphasis on football IQ in China's youth training system still needs to be strengthened. Modern football training concepts take the game model and technical style as the key, integrating physical fitness, technology, tactics, and psychological factors to develop simultaneously, and using the degree of thinking participation and activity as the main evaluation indicators. However, some coaches tend to focus on physical conditions such as height, speed, and strength when selecting players, ignoring the player's technical awareness and tactical understanding; in training, they continue to use traditional training models, separating physical fitness, technology, tactics, and psychology for training, resulting in players' insufficient ability to read the game and unreasonable application of technology.

Cultivating football IQ should be done as early as possible. From the general training rules, the ideal stage is 7 to 8 years old. At this time, technical training should be combined with tactical learning, and the player's tactical awareness and decision-making ability should be systematically cultivated through simplified games and special exercises. For example, carry out small-scale, multi-objective confrontation training to improve spatial perception ability; design local numerical disadvantage scenarios to exercise coping strategies and strengthen prediction and observation.

In the growth process of young players, football IQ cultivation is not an independent training module. Players should be placed in the context of real games, and their ability to process high-density information should be improved in strong confrontation, fast rhythm, complex space, and diverse tactics. On the one hand, it is necessary to hold more high-quality events so that young players have ample opportunities to test and improve their football IQ in actual combat. On the other hand, by watching videos and analyzing data, players are guided to review the decision-making process in the game, discuss tactical gains and losses, so as to deepen understanding and accumulate experience.

At the same time, young people should be encouraged to think actively and learn independently. Under the guidance of coaches, watch games of well-known teams, observe the movements of players with or without the ball, such as running and support, and compare their own understanding to improve their football IQ. For favorite players or players in the same position, it is even more important to carefully observe their decision-making and actions, as well as their interaction with teammates, to gain inspiration from them.

(The author is the competition and training director of Shandong Taishan Football Club (山东泰山足球俱乐部), and this report was compiled by Wang Zhe (王者), a reporter from this newspaper.)

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"After entering the game, I focused more on doing my best."

By: 本报记者 王 亮

Recently, the 2026 World Breaking and DanceSport Festival was held in Brisbane, Australia. 17-year-old Chinese athlete Guo Pu (郭朴) continued her excellent competitive form, winning gold medals in the women's individual, team 3V3, and youth women's group events in two days.

As a World Tour points race and Youth Olympic Games qualification points race, this event brought together many top athletes. In the women's individual competition, Guo Pu (郭朴) advanced to the final after several rounds of competition. In the final, she faced Japanese athlete Tsuyako Rin, taking the initiative throughout and winning decisively with a score of 3:0. "I was very nervous before the final, but after entering the arena, I focused more on doing my best. I performed well in terms of musicality, and I hope to relax a bit more in the future," Guo Pu (郭朴) said after the match.

This Shandong (山东) girl, who combines strength and beauty, skill and creativity, has won widespread recognition for her outstanding performance in the world breaking arena. Portuguese star Vanesa commented: "Guo Pu (郭朴) is very outstanding among the new generation of female breakers. Her performance in various competitions has inspired many peers." Nika, the silver medalist in women's breaking at the Paris Olympics, said: "Guo Pu (郭朴) trains very hard, and I look forward to her getting better and better in the future."

Looking back at 2025, Guo Pu's (郭朴) performance on the field was remarkable: in June last year, she won the Asian Youth Breaking Championship and the Asian Championship in succession; at the Chengdu (成都) World Games, she participated in the world-class competition for the first time and went all the way, winning the championship; in the 2025 World Breaking Championship held in Fukuoka (福冈), Japan in December, she defeated three Japanese athletes playing on their home field in a row from the quarter-finals, and finally won the championship—this is also the first time that a Chinese athlete has won the World Breaking Championship gold medal, creating history.

How did Guo Pu (郭朴), who is under 18 years old, make rapid progress in less than a year? She admitted: "There is no secret weapon, just continuous hard training and continuous learning from others' strengths to overcome my weaknesses (不断取长补短)." She hopes to use breakthroughs to repay the coaches, teachers and family members who have always accompanied and encouraged her. As she continues to show her talent on the world stage, she will face greater challenges. "I am full of confidence in the future," said Guo Pu (郭朴).

Currently, China's (中国) breaking movement is developing rapidly, and talents are constantly emerging. At this DanceSport Festival, the Chinese team won a total of 4 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals. Among them, Ge Aichen (葛爱晨), who is only 10 years old, won a bronze medal in the team competition. On the world breaking stage, China's (中国) weight is undoubtedly getting heavier and heavier.

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Shang Juncheng Advances to Australian Open Second Round

Beijing, January 19 (Reporter Li Shuo (李硕)) On the 19th, in the first round of the men's singles at the 2026 Australian Open, Chinese player Shang Juncheng (商竣程) defeated Spanish player Agut 3-1, making it through the first round of the Australian Open for the third time in his career. This is also his seventh victory in the Grand Slam main draw.

On the same day, another Chinese player, Buyunchaokete (布云朝克特), lost to Canadian player Shapovalov in the first round of the men's singles, missing the chance for his first Grand Slam main draw victory. In the first round of the women's singles, Chinese player Yuan Yue (袁悦), who broke through from the qualifying rounds, faced the No. 2 seed, Polish star Swiatek, and played bravely, but unfortunately lost after a hard fight of 2 hours, failing to advance.

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Let's play flag football together!

The 2nd Fuzhou (福州) City, Fujian (福建) Province Children's Flag Football Open was held recently. The competition adopted a safe and friendly non-collision format—flag football—attracting 13 children's flag football teams and nearly 200 young athletes to participate. In recent years, Fuzhou (福州) has promoted rugby as a featured sport in schools, with 15 kindergartens regularly offering courses. The picture shows the members of the children's group in the competition.

Photo by Xie Guiming (谢贵明) (People's Vision)

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Guangzhou 100km Trail Race Held

This newspaper's Guangzhou (广州) report on January 19th (Reporter: Zeng Huafeng (曾华锋)) The Guangzhou (广州) 100km Trail Race was held recently. Approximately 5,000 athletes from 14 countries and regions departed from the Guangdong (广东省) Guangzhou Gymnasium (广州体育馆), running towards scenic spots such as Baiyun Mountain (白云山), appreciating the beauty of the Flower City during the race.

After competition, in the 100km men's race, Li Jiajia (李佳佳) won the championship with a time of 11 hours, 02 minutes, and 46 seconds. Li Shiyin (利世银) and Yuan Xinfu (袁信富) won second and third place respectively. In the 100km women's race, Yang Yu (杨钰) won the championship with a time of 13 hours, 14 minutes, and 54 seconds. Zhang Xiuhua (张秀花) and Xu Yuyan (徐玉燕) won second and third place respectively.

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This edition's editors: Lin Lin, Shi Zhe, Gao Ji

Layout Design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

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Gastric pain from Piper longum; Piper longum for gastric pain

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Global Economy Shows Resilience, Protectionism Increases Risks (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 李志伟

On January 19, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released an updated version of its "World Economic Outlook" report, projecting global economic growth of 3.3% in 2026, up 0.2 percentage points from its October forecast, and 3.2% in 2027, unchanged from its October forecast. Previously, the World Bank (hereinafter referred to as "the World Bank") released its latest "Global Economic Prospects" report, raising its global economic growth forecast for 2026 to 2.6%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the June 2025 forecast.

The World Bank report believes that factors such as tariff shocks, escalating protectionism, geopolitical tensions, and increased fiscal vulnerabilities still pose downward pressure on the global economy, but the technological revolution represented by artificial intelligence is accelerating its penetration into the real economy, coupled with the investment orientation of enterprises focusing on technological innovation and green transformation, is cultivating new economic momentum and accumulating strength for a new round of global economic growth. The World Bank and the IMF call on governments to adjust policies, increase investment in science and technology and education, and jointly promote the sustainable development of the global economy.

Multiple Factors Promote Steady Economic Recovery

The World Bank report believes that the world economy has shown resilience beyond expectations in a complex environment of increasing trade headwinds, with a growth rate of 2.7% in 2025, better than previous market expectations. Among them, developed economies grew by 1.7%, and emerging market and developing economies became an important engine of global growth with a growth rate of 4.2%. This situation is mainly due to the reasonable accumulation of trade product inventories, the expansion of artificial intelligence-related investments, and the active optimization and adjustment of global supply chains. The World Bank predicts that the global economy will maintain stable operation in the next two years, and the growth rate is expected to rebound to 2.7% in 2027, with a constantly solidifying growth foundation.

The IMF report believes that although the global economy faces significant trade disruptions and uncertainties caused by the United States, it still shows some resilience due to factors such as higher-than-expected fiscal stimulus, loose financial conditions, flexible responses from the private sector, and improved policy frameworks. Economic growth in emerging market and developing economies is expected to remain above 4.0% in 2026 and 2027, while developed economies are expected to grow by 1.8% and 1.7% in 2026 and 2027, respectively. At the same time, the global overall inflation rate will fall from 4.1% in 2025 to 3.8% in 2026, and further to 3.4% in 2027.

The World Bank's and IMF's forecasts are basically consistent with the "2026 World Economic Situation and Prospects" report released by the United Nations in early January. The United Nations report pointed out that despite the significant increase in tariffs by the United States in 2025, the global economy showed unexpected resilience and maintained its growth momentum, supported by robust consumer spending and falling inflation. However, deep-seated vulnerabilities remain. Continued sluggish investment and limited fiscal space are dragging down economic activity and increasing the risk of the global economy falling into a long-term low-growth trap.

Indermit Gill, the World Bank's Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics, said: "Faced with multiple shocks, the world economy's ability to withstand shocks has exceeded expectations, inflation has steadily fallen, interest rates have gradually declined, and investor vitality has continued to recover." He believes that the global per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025 will increase by 10% compared with before the epidemic, and this indicator confirms that the global economy is steadily recovering from the epidemic recession and gradually returning to a normal growth track.

Ira Kalish, Global Chief Economist at Deloitte (德勤), an international accounting firm, believes that governments are actively adapting to the new geopolitical reality and actively optimizing fiscal and structural policies to provide institutional guarantees for stable economic growth, "and this trend will become more apparent in 2026."

U.S. Tariffs Drag Down Global Growth Prospects

The IMF report believes that uncertainties such as trade tensions and escalating geopolitical conflicts may still put greater pressure on global economic activity. Many economists believe that the uncertainty of U.S. tariff policies will still be the main downside risk facing the world economy in 2026. The New York Times (《纽约时报》) published an article pointing out that "the U.S. government's tariff policy has caused serious damage to the global economy, and uncertainty is still the core keyword of the current global economy."

The "2026 World Economic Situation and Prospects" report believes that although some trade tensions have eased, the superimposed effect of tariff increases and macroeconomic uncertainty will become more apparent in 2026. In 2025, global trade still achieved a growth of 3.8% in an unfavorable policy environment, but this momentum is difficult to sustain. The United Nations predicts that the growth rate of global trade may slow to 2.2% in 2026. Affected by the weakening labor market inhibiting growth momentum, the U.S. economic growth rate in 2026 will remain at around 2.0%. Due to the pressure on exports from increased U.S. tariffs and continued geopolitical uncertainty, EU economic growth will slow to 1.3% in 2026. Japan's (日本) economic growth rate is expected to be about 0.9% in 2026. Economic growth in East Asia (东亚地区) is expected to be 4.4% in 2026, South Asia (南亚地区) 5.6%, Africa (非洲地区) 4.0%, and Latin America and the Caribbean (拉丁美洲和加勒比地区) 2.3%.

The IMF report also believes that tariff shocks continue to weaken global growth prospects and exacerbate economic vulnerabilities. Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, the IMF's Chief Economist, bluntly stated: "The U.S.'s move to impose tariffs has impacted global trade norms, its effective tariff rates remain high, trade tensions continue to escalate, and the conclusion of lasting trade agreements remains uncertain." He emphasized that even if there are other positive factors to offset the impact, tariff shocks still put pressure on the already moderate growth prospects, causing damage to global economic efficiency.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development pointed out that the rise of trade protectionism brings certain policy uncertainties, and countries are also exploring pragmatic measures to balance industrial development and trade freedom. Overall, tariff policies may be more cautious in 2026. Experts from the Peterson Institute for International Economics (彼得森国际经济研究所) in the United States said that if tariff disputes continue, long-term economic efficiency losses will gradually become apparent, and it is necessary to be vigilant about the drag on global growth caused by the accumulation of risks.

Strengthening Coordination to Promote Sustainable Development

The digital transformation with artificial intelligence as the core is becoming an important new driving force for global economic growth. Artificial intelligence large model technology is rapidly iterating and accelerating its penetration into various fields, promoting companies in various countries to accelerate digital and intelligent upgrades, optimize production and logistics processes, and enhance supply chain resilience and operational efficiency. The World Bank report believes that artificial intelligence will significantly improve global total factor productivity. The IMF predicts that between 2025 and 2030, artificial intelligence will drive global economic growth by about 0.5% per year, and the resulting economic benefits will exceed the costs generated by the increase in carbon emissions from high-energy-consuming data centers. The Peterson Institute for International Economics also believes that "the realization of artificial intelligence benefits still has some uncertainties." The agency suggests that it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation, improve risk prevention and control mechanisms, and promote the effective transformation of technological dividends into growth results to offset the adverse effects that various policies may bring.

Currently, the problem of unbalanced development is still an important bottleneck restricting sustainable growth. The World Bank report shows that 1.2 billion young people in developing economies will enter the working age in the next 10 years, and employment pressure is relatively prominent. In response, the World Bank proposed three policy pillars, calling on countries to increase investment in science and technology and education, optimize the business environment, and mobilize private capital to build a solid foundation for promoting balanced and sustainable growth. Indermit Gill believes that global economic growth has gradually rebounded in recent years, but the current growth level is not enough to effectively reduce extreme poverty and alleviate employment pressure. "The phenomenon of 'increased polarization' of living standards in high- and low-income economies deserves high attention from the international community."

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development stated in its report that countries with advantages in infrastructure, talent reserves, and policy stability are more likely to attract investment. Developing economies can also gradually integrate into the global value chain by improving development conditions, creating favorable conditions for narrowing the development gap.

The United Nations calls on countries to strengthen global coordination and collective action to address trade pattern adjustments, price pressures, and climate shocks, rebuild trust, enhance predictability, and reaffirm their commitment to an open, rules-based multilateral trading system, resolve multiple tensions in the economic, geopolitical, and technological fields, help developing economies get rid of development difficulties, and promote the steady implementation of sustainable development goals.

(Reported from Washington (华盛顿) on January 19 by this newspaper)

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Building a Synergistic Growth Pattern Between Traditional and Emerging Industries (Commentary)

By: 魏 亮

The World Bank's "Global Economic Prospects" report provides an important reference for judging the global economic situation, conveying an overall cautiously optimistic signal. The report forecasts global economic growth of 2.6% and 2.7% for 2026 and 2027, respectively, showing a steady-state growth pattern. It is worth noting that in 2025, the global economy still achieved a growth of 2.7% in a complex environment of increased trade frictions and rising policy uncertainty, demonstrating a certain degree of resilience against shocks.

In recent years, the world economy has suffered a series of shocks such as financial debt, geopolitical, and public health crises. The fundamentals have become fragile, structural problems such as debt risks and employment pressures are difficult to solve, and competition among countries in various regions has intensified, leading to a divergence in growth capacity. As can be seen from the World Bank's report, a major challenge facing the current world economy is insufficient growth momentum. Trade and artificial intelligence have become two major driving forces for promoting global economic growth. The sound operation of trade and the smooth connection of industrial chains provide basic support for global economic recovery, and effectively drive growth in traditional fields. Artificial intelligence, as a key emerging variable, has great growth potential. According to relevant calculations by international institutions, the application of the artificial intelligence industry can cumulatively increase global total factor productivity by 2.7 percentage points in 5 years. If the pace of application and promotion is accelerated, it will become an important engine for driving global economic growth.

The development logic contained in the World Bank report provides some ideas for the steady progress of the global economy: traditional fields need to consolidate the foundation for development, and emerging fields should empower traditional industries with innovation to form a coordinated growth pattern. This idea is in line with China's high-quality development practice and injects stable momentum into the global economy.

(The author is the Deputy Director of the Institute of Macroeconomics and Strategy, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (中国现代国际关系研究院) )

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Post-War Gaza Arrangement Still Faces Multiple Challenges

By: 本报记者 黄培昭

The Palestinian technocratic committee held its first meeting on January 16 in Cairo (开罗), the capital of Egypt (埃及). Ali Abdul Hamid Shaa's (阿里·阿卜杜勒哈米德·沙阿斯), a former senior Palestinian official who leads the committee, announced that the committee has officially started its work and will be responsible for governing the Gaza Strip (加沙地带) during the two-year transition period. Its current priority is to fully promote humanitarian aid to Gaza. Ahmed Aboul Gheit (盖特), Secretary-General of the Arab League, issued a statement on the same day, welcoming the establishment of the Palestinian technocratic committee, saying it was an important step in implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. He called on the international community, especially the United States, to resist Israel's "delaying tactics" and ensure that Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza and that aid supplies enter Gaza continuously and unimpeded.

After the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect in October 2025, under the auspices of Egypt (埃及), several Palestinian factions, including the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) (巴勒斯坦伊斯兰抵抗运动（哈马斯）) and the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) (巴勒斯坦民族解放运动（法塔赫）), held talks in Cairo (开罗) and agreed to establish a temporary independent technocratic body to govern the Gaza Strip (加沙地带). In an exclusive interview with Egypt's Cairo News Channel, Shaa's (沙阿斯) said that the Palestinian technocratic committee is composed of 15 members and is "committed to becoming a link between the Gaza Strip (加沙地带) and the West Bank (约旦河西岸), creating conditions for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state." He stressed that as the first measures of the recovery and reconstruction plan, the committee will urgently supply 200,000 sets of prefabricated houses to provide alternative housing for residents currently living in tents in the Gaza Strip (加沙地带) under harsh conditions.

The Palestinian Presidential Office and several Palestinian factions have issued statements expressing their support for the establishment of a technocratic committee to govern the Gaza Strip (加沙地带). Hamas (哈马斯) Media Office issued a statement on January 19, saying that Hamas (哈马斯) is fully prepared to hand over relevant powers to the Palestinian technocratic committee and implement the handover procedures. The statement said that Hamas (哈马斯) will ensure a smooth and orderly transition, the government and public services will operate normally, and relevant institutions and departments will cooperate with the Palestinian technocratic committee in the spirit of public interest to jointly improve the level of public services. Bassem Naim (巴塞姆·纳伊姆), a senior member of Hamas (哈马斯), made it clear that he hopes to use this as a starting point to promote internal Palestinian unity and gradually move towards the formation of a national unity government. Previously, Hamas (哈马斯) had dissolved all administrative agencies overseeing Gaza affairs, making it clear that it was not seeking direct governance, creating favorable conditions for the establishment of a post-war governance structure.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (内塔尼亚胡) said that Israel's core concern is whether it can truly destroy Hamas's (哈马斯) military capabilities, and it will not allow substantial progress in the reconstruction of Gaza until Hamas (哈马斯) is completely disarmed. According to a statement from the Gaza Strip (加沙地带) Media Office on January 15, Israel has carried out 1,244 ceasefire violations since the ceasefire, resulting in 449 deaths and 1,246 injuries. The supply of aid materials is seriously insufficient, and the fulfillment rate of aid trucks and fuel agreed in the agreement is less than 40% and 12% respectively, resulting in the near paralysis of infrastructure such as hospitals and water stations. Relevant United Nations agencies have repeatedly called for accountability for Israel's violations of international humanitarian law and ensuring that aid enters Gaza without restrictions.

At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump's (特朗普) envoy, Witkov (威特科夫), posted on social media on January 14 on behalf of Trump (特朗普) to announce the launch of the second phase of the "20-point plan" to end the Gaza conflict, from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip (加沙地带). On January 16, the White House (白宫) issued a statement announcing the list of members of the so-called "Peace Committee" led by the United States. According to the "20-point plan" on Gaza ceasefire and post-war arrangements released by the White House (白宫) last September, the "Peace Committee" will oversee the post-war transitional governance of the Gaza Strip (加沙地带). The Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on the evening of January 17, saying that the list of members of the Gaza Executive Committee under the "Peace Committee" announced by the United States was not coordinated with Israel and was contrary to Israeli policy. Middle Eastern sources believe that the so-called "Peace Committee" is a tool for the United States to control the Gaza Strip (加沙地带).

Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper commented that the establishment of the Palestinian technocratic committee has built a preliminary framework for the continuation of the ceasefire and the restoration of people's livelihoods, but the deep-seated contradictions have not yet been resolved. The solution to the Gaza issue must adhere to the "two-state solution," respect the legitimate rights and interests of the Palestinian people to independently decide the future of their country, abandon unilateral pressure and biased policies, resolve differences and build consensus through equal consultation, promote the comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire agreement, and allow the local people to **早日摆脱** (zǎo rì bǎi tuō - "early day get rid of," to get rid of something as soon as possible) the suffering of war as soon as possible.

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Photo Report

Recently, a "Buzkashi" competition was held in Kabul (喀布尔), the capital of Afghanistan. "Buzkashi" is a traditional Afghan sport, known as the "national sport" of Afghanistan. The competition is generally held between two teams, who compete for a goat. The team that grabs the goat first and places it in the designated location scores a point, and the team with the most points wins.

The picture shows the participants in the competition.

By Zhang Kaifeng (章凯风), reporter of this newspaper.

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EU to Hold Emergency Summit to Address Trump's "Island Grab" Tariffs

Xinhua News Agency, Brussels, January 19 (Reporters Ding Yinghua (丁英华) and Zhang Xinwen (张馨文)) European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said on the 19th that the European Union will hold an emergency summit in Brussels (布鲁塞尔), Belgium (比利时) on the 22nd to discuss US President Donald Trump's (唐纳德·特朗普) announcement to impose tariffs on European countries that oppose the US acquisition of Greenland (格陵兰岛), and assess possible countermeasures that the EU may take.

Gill said that in response to Trump's tariff threat, the EU's contact and communication with the United States is still ongoing at "all levels." The EU is also conducting intensive consultations with member states on possible response measures. The EU will 尽一切必要努力 (jìn yī qiē bì yào nǔ lì - "exert all necessary efforts," to make every possible effort) to safeguard its own interests.

Gill said that the EU's top priority is "engagement rather than escalation." But he said that if the United States implements the above-mentioned tariffs, "the EU has tools at its disposal and is prepared to respond."

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Spanish high-speed train crash kills at least 39

According to Xinhua News Agency, Adradas, Spain, January 19th (Reporters Meng Dingbo (孟鼎博) and Xie Yu Zhi (谢宇智)) - According to a report by Spanish National Television on January 19th, the derailment and collision of two high-speed trains near the town of Adamuz (阿达穆斯) in the province of Cordoba (科尔多瓦省), Andalusia (安达卢西亚自治区), in southern Spain, has resulted in at least 39 deaths and 152 injuries.

According to reports, 73 of the injured have been hospitalized, with 5 in critical condition and 24 with serious injuries. The government of the Andalusia (安达卢西亚自治区) Autonomous Region announced that several carriages of the collided train fell off a 4-meter-high embankment, and one of the carriages was severely damaged, making the casualty count more difficult. Currently, the President of the Andalusia (安达卢西亚自治区) Autonomous Region, Juan Manuel Moreno (胡安·曼努埃尔·莫雷诺莫), has arrived at the scene. He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims again through social media, saying, "This is a disaster, and our hearts are broken."

According to reports, at around 19:40 on the 18th, a high-speed train operated by the Ilsa (伊尔约) company, traveling from the southern city of Malaga (马拉加) to the capital Madrid (马德里), derailed its last three carriages near the town of Adamuz (阿达穆斯镇) in Cordoba (科尔多瓦省) province, entering an adjacent track and colliding with another high-speed train traveling in the opposite direction, causing the latter to derail. There were a total of 484 passengers on the two trains. The accident occurred on a "straight track," the Ilsa (伊尔约) company's train involved in the accident was "almost brand new," and the tracks on the accident section were just replaced in May last year, making this accident "**极为蹊跷**" (jí wéi qī qiāo - "extremely strange," highly suspicious and unusual).

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Sanae Takaichi Announces Snap Election with Dissolution of the House of Representatives

By: 本报记者 刘文璋

On January 19th, local time, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) held a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office, announcing that she would dissolve the House of Representatives on January 23rd during the regular Diet session and hold a snap election. According to the announced schedule, the House of Representatives election will be announced on January 27th, and voting and counting will take place on February 8th. The interval from the dissolution of the House of Representatives to the official voting and counting is only 16 days, setting a record for the shortest period since the end of the war in Japan. The term of office of the current members of the House of Representatives of the Japanese Diet was originally scheduled to expire in October 2028. This dissolution of the House of Representatives comes only about 1 year and 3 months after the last House of Representatives election.

At the press conference, Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) stated that she would seek the trust of the Japanese people through this election on issues such as the coalition government agreement between the Liberal Democratic Party (自民党) and the Japan Innovation Party (日本维新会), the political framework, and "responsible and proactive fiscal policies." Regarding the issue of rising prices, Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) said that she would speed up the discussion of tax cuts and plans to reduce the consumption tax rate on food products to zero within two years, and include this policy in the Liberal Democratic Party's (自民党) election platform.

According to the convention of the Japanese Diet, during the budget deliberation period of the regular Diet session from January to March each year, the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers are required to accept questions from the opposition parties for days. The Japanese "Mainichi Shimbun" (每日新闻) reported that the opposition parties are currently planning to launch intensive questioning of the ruling party on issues such as rising prices, deteriorating financial conditions, political scandals, and the tension in Japan-China relations caused by Sanae Takaichi's (高市早苗) erroneous remarks regarding Taiwan. Sanae Takaichi's (高市早苗) announcement of the dissolution of the House of Representatives at this time is a strategic choice to divert public opinion and evade relevant accountability.

Currently, the Liberal Democratic Party (自民党) does not have a majority of seats in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors of the Diet, and must seek the support of the opposition parties in order to promote the passage of budget bills, which puts considerable pressure on the ruling party. At the press conference, Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) clearly stated that the ruling party will strive to win a majority of seats in the House of Representatives in this election. Japanese public opinion believes that Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) is trying to use the current relatively stable cabinet support rate to turn popularity into more Diet seats through a snap election, thereby getting rid of dependence on small parties and even seeking the dominant position of the Liberal Democratic Party (自民党) alone with more than half of the seats, in order to accelerate the implementation of relevant policies.

Sanae Takaichi's (高市早苗) move to dissolve the House of Representatives has been opposed and criticized by various opposition parties and public opinion in Japan. The "Mainichi Shimbun" (每日新闻) commented that Sanae Takaichi's (高市早苗) move will cause a "political vacuum," and the deliberation process of the 2026 budget bill, which is closely related to the lives of Japanese citizens, will be delayed due to the election, making it very difficult to pass the budget bill smoothly before the end of March. Natsuo Yamaguchi (齐藤铁夫), the representative of the Komeito Party (公明党), said that dissolving the House of Representatives when no "political vacuum" is allowed at the moment cannot but make people suspicious.

The "Nikkei Economic News" (日本经济新闻) commented that with only 16 days between the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the official election, it is inevitable that both the ruling and opposition parties will respond hastily, and there is no way to have in-depth discussions at the policy level. Tomoko Tamura (田村智子), Chairman of the Japanese Communist Party (日本共产党), emphasized: "Such a dissolution and election that has no great righteousness and disregards national sovereignty is **史无前例的** (shǐ wú qián lì de - "unprecedented," never happened in history)."

(Reported from Tokyo (东京) on January 19th by this newspaper)

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Cuba's National Defense Council Approves Plans Related to a State of War

According to Xinhua News Agency, Havana, January 18th (Reporter Jiang Biao (蒋彪)), the Cuban National Defense Council held a meeting on the 17th to review and approve various plans and measures for Cuba entering a state of war.

According to a message released on the Cuban Presidential Palace website that day, the purpose of this meeting was to improve and perfect the combat readiness level and coordination capabilities of command organizations at all levels and related personnel. It is part of the effort to advance national preparedness under the strategic concept of "people's war." The message said that Cuban revolutionary leader Raúl Castro (劳尔·卡斯特罗) closely followed the progress of the meeting.

Currently, relations between Cuba and the United States are in a state of high tension. Earlier this month, the United States launched a large-scale military strike against Venezuela, forcibly taking control of Venezuelan President Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife and bringing them to the United States. U.S. President Trump (特朗普) then hinted that Cuba might become the next target of U.S. attention, and threatened that if it lost Venezuelan oil supplies, Cuba would find it difficult to "sustain" itself.

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Zhang Mengxu, Yue Linwei, Liu Gang

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"China Treats Us as One of Their Own" (My Story with China)

By: 本报记者 张天培 《环球人物》记者 陈佳莉

Two minutes—that's the time it takes for Egyptian young man Mohamed Jihad (刘正曦) to be checked when entering Beijing (北京) by car.

The reporter sat next to Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) and witnessed the entire scene. After the inspectors signaled the vehicle to stop, Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦), sitting in the back seat, opened the window and proactively handed over his passport and visa. The staff quickly verified everyone's identification documents and passed the inspection.

"Isn't it super convenient?!" he exclaimed excitedly, almost bouncing out of the back seat.

The Baimiao Entry Inspection Station on the Tongyan Expressway, which connects Beijing (北京) city and Yanjiao Town (燕郊镇), Sanhe City (三河市), Hebei (河北), is a must-pass for Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) to enter Beijing (北京). A year ago, the reporter learned about the predicament Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) faced when entering Beijing (北京), and now can better empathize with his excitement. And in this year, there are far more than just this one thing that is worth his excitement.

Foreigners' Cross-Provincial Commute "Stuck"

Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) has been living in China (中国) for 7 years. A phrase he often says is: "I am a foreigner, but not an outsider." In these 7 years, he not only successfully obtained a master's degree in broadcasting and hosting from the Communication University of China (中国传媒大学), became a foreign expert at the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration (中国外文局), but also married a Chinese (中国) wife and bought a house in Yanjiao (燕郊). He commutes between Yanjiao (燕郊) and Beijing (北京) every day, living the same life as many Yanjiao (燕郊) commuters.

Liu Zhengxi's (刘正曦) life in China (中国) has been smooth, except for one thing that "stuck" him—the inspection process at the Beijing (北京) entry inspection station.

The establishment of the Beijing (北京) entry inspection station is mainly to strengthen the safety management of people and vehicles entering Beijing (北京), prevent and combat illegal and criminal activities, and maintain the stability and security of the capital area. For ordinary Chinese (中国) citizens, the inspection process is very convenient: just show your ID card, which is scanned and verified by the inspectors on the machine, and you can pass quickly.

However, due to his foreign status, Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) had to get out of the car and enter the inspection hall every time, where staff would register his identity information one by one. Just his name, which consists of 27 letters, would take a while to type on the computer. Subsequently, the staff had to verify his work permit, visa, and register his mobile phone number and other relevant information. The whole process took at least 10 minutes.

If he encountered inspectors who were not familiar with the process, the entire procedure could take as long as twenty or thirty minutes. Sometimes when he took the bus to Beijing (北京), during his registration, the driver would often leave first in order not to delay other passengers from going to work, and he could only wait for the next bus, or take a temporary taxi.

"I always inevitably feel flustered, after all, I don't know what kind of situation I will encounter. So every night before going to work, I will think about several alternative plans." To avoid being late, the safest way is to get up early. Liu Zhengxi's (刘正曦) alarm clock was set earlier and earlier. Even though he was supposed to start work at 9 o'clock, he usually had to leave home at 6 o'clock to deal with various emergencies.

"To be honest, there are not many foreigners commuting between Beijing (北京) and Hebei (河北), and there may not be many people complaining about this matter." Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) once felt that his situation was just an isolated case, and it would probably be difficult to get attention, but the commuting problem did become his "heart disease."

At the end of 2024, during the dialogue session of the "Global People of the Year Ceremony," Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦), sitting on the stage, sincerely said: "I love China (中国) very much, and I am very used to living here, but there are still some inconveniences. I am raising them here, hoping to help improve the convenience of foreigners living in China (华)."

"Everything Has a Response, Everything Has a Solution"

Hope was once pinned on an "integrated card."

Gao Dongyue (高东岳), Director of the Policy and Regulation Division of the Foreign Expert Service Department of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源和社会保障部外国专家服务司), told reporters that since December 1, 2024, an "integrated card" that integrates the functions of foreign identity authentication, medical treatment and medicine purchase, public transportation, and card consumption has been launched in some parts of the country for pilot projects. This "integrated card" is similar to the third-generation social security card for Chinese (中国) citizens, but its functions are more comprehensive. In addition to basic functions such as medical treatment, medicine purchase, and consumption payment, it also loads work permit information for foreigners coming to China (华). More thoughtfully, the card is equipped with an electronic version and an exclusive QR code, making it flexible and convenient to use.

Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) originally hoped that this "integrated card" could become a "universal ID card" for foreigners in China (华)—achieving "one card in hand, worry-free passage." If he could directly scan the QR code to pass through the Beijing (北京) entry inspection station, his commuting problem could be completely solved. Since the pilot project was launched, many cities in China (国内) have successively launched card application services, and Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) has also been closely following the card application dynamics.

Before the "integrated card" was in hand, Liu Zhengxi's (刘正曦) problem of entering Beijing (北京) was solved one step ahead.

He couldn't remember exactly which day it was. That time when entering Beijing (北京), the staff did not ask him to get out of the car to register. "At first, I thought it was an accidental oversight by the staff. Later, I realized that the cumbersome process that used to be was actually simplified." Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) still can't hide his joy when he thinks about it.

In a blink of an eye, it was November 2025. Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) had been working in China (华) for two full years. According to relevant regulations, his work permit in China (华) was upgraded from Category C to Category B, which is for foreign professionals, based on his actual performance and contributions. When handling the upgrade procedures, he was informed that the "integrated card," which combines the work permit in China (华) and the social security card into one card, could be processed together.

The reporter was with Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) on the day he applied for the card. When entering personal information on his mobile phone, he was once again "stuck" because of his super long name. Helpless, he dialed the 12333 Human Resources and Social Security Service Hotline. The staff asked in detail what the problem was and gave several operation tips. Subsequently, the staff provided an email address, asking him to send a screenshot of the webpage error information and indicate the specific problem.

After hanging up the phone, Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) pondered over the mobile phone page and tried several times. Unexpectedly, he successfully completed the application. He was so happy that he immediately forgot about sending the email. But just half an hour later, the 12333 return call suddenly came, and the staff specifically asked: "Has your problem been solved? We haven't received your email yet."

"That feeling is particularly good, it's the thoughtfulness of 'everything has a response, everything has a solution'. I can truly feel that they have taken my matter to heart," Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) said with a smile.

"This Respect is Especially Precious"

While feeling the convenience for himself, Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) also "paved the way" for his relatives and friends who were coming to visit him in China (中国).

Not long ago, one of his Italian friends came to China (中国). As soon as he landed in Beijing (北京), he got a taste of the fresh experience—he got a "BEIJING PASS" transit card. After recharging, he could take the subway and bus, and many supermarkets could also use it for direct consumption. It was so worry-free.

This "BEIJING PASS," which is specially designed for foreign tourists, is equivalent to an international Yikatong card. It was first launched on July 31, 2024. It strings together scenes such as transportation, scenic spot ticket purchases, and supermarket shopping into "one line," truly realizing "one card in hand, travel around Beijing (京城) at will," making the payment experience of foreign tourists more "smooth." "Next time my mother or other friends come, I will directly get them this card, and it will be convenient to go anywhere," Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) said with great anticipation.

The problem of language barriers has also long been solved. Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) said that he specifically learned that the 12345 Citizen Service Hotline now has 8 language services; airports and visa halls have long been equipped with intelligent language service machines that can speak 14 languages. "I also specifically tried it in my native language, Arabic, and the translation was fast and accurate."

Detailed travel payment services and accurate language services have dispelled the concerns of foreigners coming to China (华). And what gives them the confidence to "come as they say" comes from China's (中国) constantly expanding visa-free policy.

According to the National Immigration Administration (国家移民管理局), China (中国) has now achieved comprehensive mutual visa exemption with 29 countries, implemented unilateral visa exemption for 48 countries, implemented 240-hour transit visa exemption for 55 countries, and also has regional visa-free policies such as Hainan (海南) entry visa exemption, ASEAN (东盟) tourist group entry visa exemption, and cruise ship entry visa exemption, which facilitates more foreign friends to come to China (华) for tourism and business. Data provided by the National Immigration Administration (国家移民管理局) shows that from January to November 2025, 37.043 million foreigners came to China (华), an increase of 26.8% year-on-year, and visa-free entry accounted for more than 70%.

China's (中国) "visa-free circle of friends" is constantly expanding, making the convenience of "China (中国) travel" continue to improve. China's (中国) service improvement for foreigners in social life makes many people reluctant to leave after coming.

According to reporters, the National Immigration Administration (国家移民管理局) continues to optimize stay and residence services, not only providing convenience for foreigners coming to China (华) to apply for visa extensions and reissues nearby, but also working with relevant departments to continuously optimize services such as accommodation, travel, and payment for foreigners in China (华).

These policy signals that enhance the level of convenience are attracting more foreign friends like Liu Zhengxi (刘正曦) to come to China (中国), understand China (中国), fall in love with China (中国), and stay in China (中国).

"China (中国) treats us as its own people. Perhaps the skin color, appearance, and nationality are different, but we can all feel the warmth of '天下一家' (tiān xià yī jiā - "all under heaven are one family," the whole world is one family). Here, whenever I encounter problems, there are always people willing to listen and take the initiative to help. These small but warm moments all hide respect for us—for foreign nationals coming to China (华), this respect is especially precious."

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Understanding China and its People Through Literature (China in My Eyes)

By: 李旭渊

On January 7th, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (李在明), while attending the centennial commemoration of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai (上海), stated: "I hope that today's occasion can become a valuable opportunity for us to jointly revisit the sacrifices and dedication made by our predecessors a century ago, and to consolidate the friendship and cooperation between South Korea and China." The history of South Korea and China jointly resisting Japanese militarist aggression is a symbol of the close unity between the two countries and their joint efforts to build a just world. The two countries should learn from history, look to the future, and continue to contribute to world peace, stability, and development.

In 2024, I published a travel essay collection introducing the humanistic features of major Chinese cities, titled "Walking Alone in China" (独自行走中国), which includes a description of the site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. I hope that by introducing these historical sites, Koreans can further understand China while remembering the efforts made by the people of both countries to resist foreign aggression and strive for national independence. Some readers said that this book resonated with them regarding the lives of Chinese people, deepening the emotional connection between the two peoples; other readers expressed sincere gratitude for the Chinese government's proper maintenance of important buildings and sites that carry the history of Koreans in China, such as the site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and the Ahn Jung-geun (安重根) Memorial Hall.

The shared historical memory of South Korea and China is the foundation of friendship between the two countries, and my personal connection with China is thanks to the "fate" I forged with Chinese literature.

In my third year of university, I first encountered Lu Xun (鲁迅), a great modern Chinese writer, whose works analyzed the ills of old Chinese society and were also very meaningful to Korean society at the time. For this reason, I began to focus on the study of modern Chinese literature, especially the works of Lu Xun. While pursuing my doctoral degree, I translated many of Lu Xun's essays and published a selection of Lu Xun's essays in South Korea. This book became a bestseller after its publication in 1992, and the royalties eventually became the funds for me to study in China. 1992 marked the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China, and I became one of the first Korean students to study in China. I often joke with my Chinese friends that I am someone who "eats Lu Xun's rice."

In fact, even now, many young Koreans are very fond of Lu Xun. Dramas adapted from works such as "The True Story of Ah Q" (阿Q正传) and "Blessing" (祝福) have been frequently staged in South Korea in recent years, and "The True Story of Ah Q" has even become one of the classic works that Korean middle school students are required to read. Not only Lu Xun, but also contemporary Chinese writers such as Yu Hua (余华) and Mo Yan (莫言) are very famous in South Korea. For example, Yu Hua's work "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" (许三观卖血记) has a large market in South Korea and has also been adapted into a film. Xu Sanguan (许三观) in the novel is the image of the father's generation in the hearts of many Koreans—no matter what difficulties they encounter, they take on the responsibility of the family with tenacious vitality.

I have found that the resonance between the people of South Korea and China in the field of literature stems from our similar cultural traditions and long history of exchanges, which is what is meant by 文缘相通 (wén yuán xiāng tōng - "literary affinity connects," the connection and understanding between people through literature). To understand each other more deeply, we need to feel each other's lives, joys, sorrows, and joys, and literature is still an important window. Literature can transcend national borders and is one of the best ways for people to communicate emotionally. I hope that Koreans can learn about China's past and present from more dimensions through literary works, and understand China more comprehensively and profoundly.

In recent years, Korean literature has been influenced by the West, and the background of East Asian civilization seems to be fading. In particular, Korean teenagers have a biased understanding of China. By introducing and translating Chinese literary works, I hope that Korean literature can find more of its former civilizational roots. Teenagers are the future of the country, and it is very important for them to have a comprehensive understanding of China. Therefore, I wrote "China So Close" (中国如此亲近) for Korean teenagers, systematically introducing China's national conditions and the development of relations between the two countries from multiple perspectives such as history, geography, politics, economy, society, culture and art, and South Korea-China relations, to show them a three-dimensional and vivid China. This book has been selected as a textbook by many Korean junior and senior high schools, and I am very proud of this.

Literature is also a subject about people and can play a bridging role. When the people of South Korea and China read the same novel and watch the same movie, they will trigger similar emotional feedback, and the distance between their hearts will be shortened. I am very pleased to see more and more young Koreans getting to know China and understand China through literature. I believe that the more cultural exchanges between South Korea and China, the closer the distance between the two countries will be, and the deeper the mutual understanding will be. I hope that the two countries will continue to strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cultural cooperation with an open and inclusive attitude, and learn from each other.

(The author is the Dean of the School of Humanities and Professor of the Department of Chinese Culture at Sogang University (西江大学) in South Korea. Interview by Mang Jiuchen (莽九晨), reporter of this newspaper)

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"Zongzi Boy" and "Food Radar" (Foreigners Are Not Outsiders)

By: 弗兰克·科卢奇

I am an Italian who has lived in Jiaxing, Zhejiang (浙江嘉兴), for 7 years. Because I love eating zongzi (粽子, sticky rice dumplings), and I often share Chinese food on social media, netizens affectionately call me "Zongzi Boy."

My profession is a kindergarten teacher. The most numerous photos stored in my phone are group photos with the children. Hearing the children call me "Teacher Frank" in their childish voices every day is the happiest time I cherish most.

As for doing social media, it was purely an accident. I like food. Once, when I was eating ice cream, I casually took a video and posted it on my social media account. Unexpectedly, it instantly became popular. Since then, I have become known as a "food radar" among my friends. "Frank's recommendations are always right," "You know more than the locals," these encouragements have made me stick to the habit of recording food.

What really made me "go viral" was a video of me wrapping zongzi: I learned from the locals to fold the zongzi leaves into a funnel shape, but the rice always leaked out from the gaps, making me exclaim "Oh, no!" The "Frankenstein" zongzi I finally made was jokingly called a "Sino-Western hybrid new species" by netizens.

My account content not only includes embarrassing stories of "crashing" while wrapping zongzi, but also is full of joyful events of taking friends from various countries to unlock Chinese flavors—recording these daily routines with the camera all stems from my heartfelt love for China.

Now I am no longer a novice. I can wrap salted egg yolk and pork zongzi quite skillfully. One bite is full of happiness, and I can eat 4 at a time without getting tired. In 7 years, I have eaten hundreds of zongzi. My friends always say I "eat too much," but I enjoy it. I also tried to design a T-shirt printed with zongzi patterns. In my opinion, zongzi, though small, encompasses everything, containing historical and cultural memories, and also showcasing the dietary wisdom of the Chinese people.

Food is an important way for cultural exchange. People get the most direct feelings through the touch of their taste buds, and they expand the space for imagination through taste. People often leave me messages—"Because of you, I plan to travel to Jiaxing (嘉兴旅游)," and while feeling happy, I also want more people to know that China not only has delicious food, but also a warm life and lovely people, and even more profound traditional culture.

"This is my second home," I say this every time I video chat with my family in Italy. I will continue to use my account to share my life in Jiaxing (嘉兴) and stories of China. I hope that by recording these vivid daily routines, more people can understand China, and let Chinese and foreign cultures enter the inner world of more people in laughter and fragrance.

(The author is an Italian social media blogger, interviewed and compiled by Liu Junguo (刘军国), reporter of this newspaper)

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This edition's editors: Bai Yang, Qiang Wei

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Supervision Effectiveness Builds Public Trust (Frontline Observation)

By: 本报记者 游 仪

The morning mist had just dissipated, and the road meandered. In front of the "Postal Express Station" in Wenxing Village (文星村), Juandong Town (卷硐镇), Qu County (渠县), Sichuan Province (四川省), a passenger-cargo-postal integrated bus stopped. Villager Xie Yizhong (谢一忠) quickly stepped forward, took the package sent by his family from Zhejiang (浙江) with both hands, and couldn't help but sigh, "It's much more convenient to receive and send express deliveries now, saving worry and money!"

Wenxing Village (文星村) is located in the deep mountains, 10 kilometers away from the nearest township. In the past, people had to go to the town to pick up packages, and agricultural products from the mountains were difficult to "get out of the mountains" through e-commerce.

The change originated from a villager's "complaint." "When carrying out the work of 'Finding the Discipline Inspection Commission for Matters, Relying on the Organization for Solutions,' some villagers reported the inconvenience of receiving and sending express deliveries," said Shu Yi (舒毅), director of the Party Conduct and Government Style Supervision Office of the Qu County (渠县) Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission. The county immediately integrated transportation, supply and marketing, and postal resources, urged relevant departments to take active actions, and improved the three-level logistics co-distribution network of the county, township, and village. "Villagers can pick up packages for free at their doorsteps, passenger transport companies have increased their annual income by nearly 200,000 yuan, and the distribution cost of express delivery companies to the village has decreased by about 17.8%, achieving a win-win situation for all parties."

In recent years, the Sichuan Provincial (四川省) Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission has carried out the work of "Finding the Discipline Inspection Commission for Matters, Relying on the Organization for Solutions" at the township (street) level. By constructing a long-term mechanism of "Party Committee taking the main responsibility, government taking the lead, Discipline Inspection Commission promoting, departments organizing, and the masses evaluating," improving the operation chain of unified management, scientific and standardized transfer, and full-process tracking and supervision, it promotes the resolution of urgent, difficult, and worrying problems for the masses.

Breaking the Situation: Encouraging the Masses to Actively Participate in Supervision

Walking into the office of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Renlong Town (任隆镇), Pengxi County (蓬溪县), Suining City (遂宁市), the phone of Liu Hai (刘海), deputy secretary of the town's Discipline Inspection Commission, rang from time to time. While answering the phone, he quickly recorded in the "Public Opinion Record Book." "There are more and more people actively reporting problems, our responsibility is greater, but we can also do more practical things for everyone," said Liu Hai (刘海).

In the past, the enthusiasm of the masses to actively report problems to the discipline inspection and supervision organs was not high. "When encountering problems, people were not clear about who to turn to, and sometimes there were situations where multiple reports were made but the problems were not resolved, and gradually they lost confidence. In addition, everyone at the grassroots level sees each other often, and they are unwilling to actively report problems." Liu Hai (刘海), who has worked in the township Discipline Inspection Commission for a long time, has a deep understanding of this.

How to break the situation? The key lies in practical work and winning the hearts of the people.

Since 2024, Sichuan (四川) has carried out the work of "Finding the Discipline Inspection Commission for Matters, Relying on the Organization for Solutions" in 3,101 townships (streets) throughout the province. Through publicity in the form of publicity columns, WeChat groups, "Village-to-Village" broadcasts, and坝坝会 (bà bà huì - "壩壩會," open-air meetings), the masses are encouraged to actively report problems to the township (street) Discipline (Work) Committees.

"Finding the Discipline Inspection Commission for Matters, Relying on the Organization for Solutions" means that the masses can report all problems, and the township (street) Discipline (Work) Committees accept them all and dispose of them according to their functions and responsibilities. Accusations and reports within the scope of business are handled in a timely manner, while demands outside the scope of business are diverted and transferred. The Party Committee takes the lead, the Discipline Inspection Commission tracks and supervises, and the functional departments specifically solve the problems and respond to the concerns of the masses in a timely manner.

In the office of the Renlong Town (任隆镇) Discipline Inspection Commission, Heng Cheng (衡成), secretary of the town's Discipline Inspection Commission, pointed to a brocade banner on the wall and said, "This is a praise from the masses after we helped the villagers get back their land rent."

It turned out that a company was building a lotus root planting industry in Minli Village (民力村), Renlong Town (任隆镇), and rented 33.35 mu of land from the villagers. After the person in charge of the company handed over the land rent of 13,340 yuan to Bai (柏)某某, a full-time member of the village Party branch, he failed to distribute it to the villagers in a timely manner, and was later in arrears for several months due to the freezing of his bank card.

"I reported it many times before, but it was never resolved. Last May, the cadres of the town's Discipline Inspection Commission came and asked me what difficulties I had, so I told them about the problem of the land rent being in arrears," villager Bai Zaigang (柏再刚) admitted frankly.

Involving the interests of the masses, the Discipline Inspection Commission immediately took action. An investigation was launched into Bai (柏)某某's failure to distribute the land rent to the masses in a timely manner, and Bai (柏)某某 was eventually given a warning within the Party. Under the supervision of the town's Discipline Inspection Commission, Minli Village (民力村) held a坝坝会 (bà bà huì - "壩壩會," open-air meeting) and distributed the land rent in arrears to the villagers. "'Finding the Discipline Inspection Commission for Matters' is really useful." Bai Zaigang (柏再刚) smiled happily after receiving the land rent that had been in arrears for several months.

Only when the masses trust supervision will they actively report problems; only when supervision repays trust can a virtuous cycle be formed. Nowadays, in Sichuan (四川), the enthusiasm of the masses to report problems to the Discipline Inspection Commission has generally increased, helping to promote the work of rectifying unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems around the masses in depth. In 2025, the province's township level collected more than 4.12 million pieces of public opinion, from which 76,600 clues of unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems around the masses were discovered, and 36,600 people were filed for investigation.

Linkage: Improving the Chain of Responsibility with Layer-by-Layer Responsibility and Interlocking Links

With many enterprises and dense universities, the instant delivery industry in Pidu District (郫都区), Chengdu City (成都市), has grown rapidly in recent years, but it has also become an area with frequent conflicts. One of them is the obstruction of food delivery to homes.

"The property management doesn't allow us to enter, saying it's for safety, and customers want us to deliver to their homes for convenience." Chen Li (陈丽), who has been engaged in food delivery in Hongguang Street (红光街道), Pidu District (郫都区) for more than 3 years, has a deep understanding of the obstruction of food delivery to homes. "We are stuck in the middle. If we can't deliver it, it may be overtime or a bad review, and our income will be directly affected."

After the launch of the "Finding the Discipline Inspection Commission for Matters, Relying on the Organization for Solutions" work, the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Work Committees of multiple streets in Pidu District (郫都区) received reports from the masses that, in addition to the obstruction of food delivery to homes, problems such as the lack of temporary parking spots, the lack of places to rest on the way, and the small number of battery replacement points also urgently need to be solved.

"According to the 'Five-Party Linkage' working mechanism, we promptly reported the relevant issues to the District Party Committee and the District Government," said Wu Ke'dan (吴珂丹), director of the Party Conduct and Government Style Supervision Office of the Pidu District (郫都区) Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission. The "Five-Party Linkage" mentioned by Wu Ke'dan (吴珂丹) is the "Party Committee taking the main responsibility, government taking the lead, Discipline Inspection Commission promoting, departments organizing, and the masses evaluating" working mechanism established by the Sichuan Provincial (四川省) Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission. The Party Committee assumes the main responsibility, integrating the resolution of urgent, difficult, and worrying problems for the masses into the overall planning and deployment. The government formulates implementation plans to ensure that problem solving has funds, personnel, and mechanisms. The Discipline Inspection and Supervision organs are responsible for performing their special supervision responsibilities, focusing on the blocking points to carry out follow-up supervision, full-process supervision, and precise supervision, and the rectification effect is then evaluated by the masses.

Therefore, Pidu District (郫都区) included the solution of the pain points of the instant delivery industry into an important agenda. Led by the "Two New" Work Committee of the District Party Committee, a consultation and notification and linkage disposal mechanism involving multiple departments such as the Social Work Department of the District Party Committee, the Pidu Branch of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, the District Market Supervision Bureau, and the District Housing Development Center was established. Four special consultation meetings were held, and 28 key tasks were implemented. The District Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission supervised the handling and rectification of problems throughout the process, and relevant departments and towns and streets focused on implementation and coordinated to solve problems.

Instant delivery is flexible and mobile, and problems cannot be fundamentally solved by the efforts of one district alone. The Pidu District (郫都区) Party Committee coordinated multiple departments and developed a mobile phone applet. "We have posted QR codes at the entrance of residential communities and commercial buildings, and food delivery and courier personnel can enter by scanning the codes," Wu Ke'dan (吴珂丹) explained. If it is effective, it will be promoted. In August 2025, Chengdu's (成都) "Nuanxin Hui" (暖新汇) new employment group smart service integration platform was launched.

"Nuanxin Hui" (暖新汇), warms the heart even more.

The "difficulty in delivering to homes" has the "Nuanxin Code" (暖新码). Food delivery and courier personnel can register their identity information online and upload their ID cards, work permits, and company work certificates. After the "Nuanxin Hui" (暖新汇) platform verifies their identity and authorizes them, they can scan the code to quickly complete the entry registration, which not only allows food delivery and courier personnel to scan the code to enter smoothly, but also ensures the safe and orderly management of the community; expand the construction of "Nuanxin College" to provide new employment groups with vocational growth services such as academic improvement, career development, and ability expansion...

"Nuanxin Hui" (暖新汇) warms more than just new employment groups. "In the past, when ordering takeout, I had to go to the entrance of the community to pick it up. Now it's delivered directly to my door, which is much more convenient!" Mr. Chen (陈先生), a citizen at the entrance of Longcheng International Phase VI in Hongguang Street (红光街道), said to the staff of the Hongguang Street (红光街道) Discipline Inspection and Supervision Work Committee who came to visit.

By constructing a working mechanism, Sichuan (四川) has improved the chain of responsibility with layer-by-layer responsibility and interlocking links, forming a joint force for work. In 2025, discipline inspection and supervision organs at all levels in the province have promoted the resolution of more than 4.03 million urgent, difficult, and worrying problems for the masses.

Focus: Focusing on Outstanding Problems and Concentrating Efforts

Recently, the bumper harvest of more than 300 mu of citrus has made the villagers of Group 5 of Xinfeng Community (新丰社区), Huangfeng Town (黄丰镇), Pengshan District (彭山区), Meishan City (眉山市) overjoyed. Trucks loaded with fresh citrus travel on the village roads, sending them to all parts of the country.

"The road has been repaired, and the delivery is faster and more stable." Villager Yuan Kai (袁凯) has planted more than 20 mu of citrus, and is a large local grower. A year ago, he was still worried about transportation. The village road was severely cracked and there were safety hazards. "Every time I loaded goods, I had to load less, for fear of being unsafe, which also increased transportation costs."

The road problem was rectified due to the special rectification of problems in the field of rural road construction carried out by the Meishan City (眉山市) Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission.

"In the work of 'Finding the Discipline Inspection Commission for Matters, Relying on the Organization for Solutions,' slow rural road construction, inconvenience in agricultural production and transportation, and safety hazards are among the main problems we have received," said Feng Peng (冯鹏), deputy director of the Party Conduct and Government Style Supervision Office of the Meishan City (眉山市) Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission. Focusing on outstanding problems, the city deployed and carried out a special rectification of outstanding problems in the field of rural road construction.

While strictly grasping problem rectification, it also strictly investigates corruption problems. The Meishan City (眉山市) Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission urged agriculture and rural affairs, transportation and other departments to conduct a comprehensive survey of rural road conditions in the city to eliminate safety hazards. At the same time, it used case handling to open the way, focusing on the entire process of road construction and maintenance fund use, and targeted verification of suspicious problems such as irregular fund allocation and virtual performance management, and deeply investigated and thoroughly investigated behaviors such as falsely reporting project quantities and embezzling funds in rural road project construction, and eradicating "roadblocks." In 2025, a total of 280 suspicious problems in the field of rural road construction were discovered in the city, and 163 urgent, difficult, and worrying problems such as road damage and safety hazards were urged to be solved.

Focusing on outstanding problems that the masses strongly reflect, Sichuan (四川) carried out special rectification of outstanding problems in 6 fields, such as "school meals" in primary and secondary schools and rural collective "three assets" management, and promoted the city and county-level Discipline Inspection Commissions and Supervision Commissions to accurately grasp the actual situation of different regions, industries, and fields, and determined 130 special rectification projects such as urban property management and soybean planting subsidies.

Grasping and implementing each item in detail has allowed the masses to see new changes and have more gains. The Nanchong City (南充市) Shunqing District (顺庆区) Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission took the problem of arrears in land transfer rent as the focus of supervision, carried out a special "debt clearing" action, and helped more than 3,100 households recover rent of 4,957,700 yuan; the Yibin City (宜宾市) Gong County (珙县) carried out a special rectification of outstanding problems in the use of old-age care fees for scattered special hardship personnel in rural areas, and recovered more than 170,000 yuan in nursing fees for more than 130 scattered old-age care personnel in rural areas.

"The demands of the masses are the target, and the satisfaction of the masses is the yardstick." The person in charge of the Sichuan Provincial (四川省) Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission said that in the future, it will deepen and expand the "Finding the Discipline Inspection Commission for Matters, Relying on the Organization for Solutions" working mechanism, sink the supervision force, extend the tentacles of supervision, deeply investigate and strictly investigate "flies and ants corruption," vigorously promote the resolution of urgent, difficult, and worrying problems for the masses, and continuously consolidate the virtuous cycle of "the masses trust supervision, and supervision repays trust."

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Trying to be "clever" leads to a "big fall" (Jin Tai Tide)

By: 李林蔚

The television documentary "Never Stop, Never Retreat" tells the story of a case: Yang Sujiao (杨素娇), a former staff member of the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County (隆林各族自治县), Guangxi (广西), accidentally discovered a loophole in the social security business system. She entered her mother's information into the system, registered it as "paid," and then used a colleague's account to approve it, actually receiving pension benefits.

Yang Sujiao then colluded with her colleague Nong Suling (农素玲), playing "petty tricks." "I helped my younger sister, brother-in-law, and aunt to apply for pension benefits. They were not old enough and had not paid..." Nong Suling confessed that the two conspired to defraud a large amount of pension funds by fabricating payment records for insured persons and intercepting bank cards. In the end, the trick of 瞒天过海 (mán tiān guò hǎi - "hide the sky cross the sea," to deceive or hoodwink) was discovered, and the two were imprisoned.

This is truly playing "petty tricks" and suffering a "big fall." In reality, similar situations are not uncommon. Some people are keen on exploiting loopholes, using rule loopholes and information gaps to benefit themselves; some like to make superficial articles, create "bonsai" and set up "models," pretending to be doing something; some say one thing and do another, acting in 阳奉阴违 (yáng fèng yīn wéi - "ostensibly obey, secretly defy," outwardly compliant but inwardly disobedient)... These people are self-righteous, perhaps able to make money, earn fame, and gain temporary glory, but in the long run, how can speculation stand the test? It's just a paper lantern, easily punctured.

Playing "petty tricks" ultimately lies in the weakening of the original intention and mission, insufficient Party spirit cultivation, and the prevalence of speculative psychology. Once the mind declines, action will inevitably be lost. Driven by impetuous mentality, they only seek "visible achievements" and disregard the long-term, only value face and ignore substance, and ultimately embark on the wrong path of focusing on the virtual and not the practical.

Achievements are all made through hard work. The greater the responsibility, the greater the achievement. Huang Dafa (黄大发) led the villagers for 36 years, relying on hoes, steel drills, and hammers, chiseling inch by inch and knocking foot by foot, and stubbornly built a "life canal" across 3 mountains and 9 cliffs of various sizes. To prevent desert encroachment, more than 40 years ago, the "six old men" resolutely devoted themselves to sand control and afforestation. Three generations worked hard and practically, in exchange for the lush greenery on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert (腾格里沙漠). What they relied on was not cleverness, but tenacity; not opportunism, but hard work. True wisdom is knowing how to revere the people and revere the law, and to be honest and upright and do things in a down-to-earth manner at all times.

Abiding by rules and discipline, not afraid to let go and do things; being down-to-earth can lead to stability and long-term success. Returning to the beginning, the two people involved in the case admitted that even after retirement, their hearts were not relaxed, "living in constant fear." The fact is also true. Paper can't wrap fire after all, and "petty tricks" will eventually escape the punishment of Party discipline and state law. Life is long, instead of painstakingly scheming, it is better to work hard - this is the "smartness" that Party members and cadres should have.

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Intensive Training for Party Members, Empowering Grassroots Development

By: 本报记者 沈童睿

"The course is practical, easy to understand, and useful, and I feel very rewarded!" Xie Yuehua, a member of Qiyong Village (启勇村), Yudong Town (余东镇), Haimen District (海门区), Nantong City (南通市), Jiangsu Province (江苏省), said after participating in the Haimen District Party School (区委党校) study, "I am an ordinary rural party member, and it is a rare opportunity to enter the District Party School for study. I must make good use of what I have learned and contribute more to my fellow villagers!"

Since 2025, Haimen District has carried out a centralized rotational training program called "Ten Thousand Ordinary Party Members Entering Party School" (万名普通党员进党校), conducting systematic and comprehensive training for front-line party members in the district, strengthening their sense of identity as party members, giving play to their exemplary role, and injecting strong impetus into the region's high-quality development. Among them, Haimen District actively promotes the entry of the Party's innovative theories into classrooms and minds, while also focusing on exploring local red resources and compiling "local teaching materials" such as Haimen Party History Case Collection and Oral History of Veteran Party Members. The local area also sets up special classes for different characteristics of party members in rural areas, communities, government agencies, institutions, and emerging fields, and precisely offers practical courses such as mass work, grassroots governance, and new quality productive forces.

"'Su Chao' (苏超) is not only a carnival for fans, but also a major test of the service capabilities of party members and cadres." In Daoxiang Village (稻香村), Haimen High-tech Zone (海门高新区), a "Model Party Class Going to the Grassroots" activity was held in a warm atmosphere. The speaker emotionally told the story of party members' dedication and action in the competition, and the audience applauded continuously. In order to expand the coverage of training and improve the quality and efficiency of training, Haimen District has established a "regional linkage, dual improvement of quality and efficiency" mechanism, dividing the jurisdiction into 5 regions, carrying out "Model Party Class Going to the Grassroots" activities every month, promoting the sinking of high-quality educational resources, publicizing the struggle stories of advanced models, and encouraging party members to learn from the virtuous. As of now, a total of 37 special training courses of various types have been held, training 24,000 party members.

Combining learning with application and learning for application, Haimen District guides party members to take the initiative to lead industrial upgrading, people's livelihood services and other projects through the implementation of the "One Branch One Practical Thing, One Party Member One Commitment" (一支部一实事、一党员一承诺) practice activity, and has cumulatively solved 3,970 urgent and difficult problems for the masses, effectively transforming learning results into practical responsibility. "We will continue to carry out the 'Ten Thousand Ordinary Party Members Entering Party School' activity in depth, forge a high-quality team of party members, and inject strong impetus into the high-quality economic and social development," said the relevant person in charge of the Organization Department of the Haimen District Committee (海门区委组织部).

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Grassroots governance is like embroidery, with each stitch following the sentiments of the people (The Party flag flies high on the front lines of the grassroots)

By: 本报记者 何昭宇

At 6:30 in the morning, Wang Suolan (王素兰), a resident of the Jindu Nanyuan Community (金都南苑小区) in the Cangkan Street Community (仓南街社区), Nanguan Subdistrict (南关街道), Weicheng District (潍城区), Weifang City (潍坊市), Shandong Province (山东省), slowly walked to the window as usual, pulled open the curtains, leaned on the windowsill and looked downstairs, waving to Zhang Xia (张霞), the secretary of the community Party committee (社区党委书记), who came to inspect.

"Aunt Wang's children work outside and she is alone at home all year round, so we usually take more care of her." One morning, Zhang Xia (张霞) passed by Wang Suolan's (王素兰) home and noticed that the curtains had not been opened for a long time. She became suspicious and visited. It turned out that the old woman had caught a cold at night and was dizzy and unable to get out of bed. Taking her temperature, cooking ginger soup, contacting the doctor... Zhang Xia (张霞) was busy all morning, and the old woman's body gradually eased.

"Grassroots governance is like embroidery, and the stitches follow the people's feelings." Zhang Xia (张霞) said that there are 13 elderly people living alone like Wang Suolan (王素兰) in the Jindu Nanyuan Community (金都南苑小区), "If you visit too little, you can't take care of them, and if you visit too much, you will inevitably disturb them, and the scale is not easy to grasp." To this end, the community Party committee (社区党委) reached a special "curtain agreement" with the elderly - open in the morning and close in the evening, indicating that everything is fine; otherwise, community cadres and the Red Service Team (红色服务队) will visit to check.

The curtain agreement is a microcosm of Weifang City's (潍坊市) efforts to promote the refinement of community services. In recent years, Weifang City (潍坊市) has continued to optimize the "find an organization nearby, find the secretary immediately, and find a party member nearby" service process, organized party members, grid leaders, and volunteers to form a Red Service Team (红色服务队) to provide "urgent matters handled on behalf, difficult matters helped, and good things done quickly" door-to-door services, and created 12 service scenarios such as curtain agreements, two-yuan canteens, accompanied medical treatment, and clothing mending, turning the governance "problem list" into a "satisfaction list" for the masses.

The Xinan Guan Community (西南关社区) was built in the 1950s. The old residential areas in the jurisdiction do not have public maintenance funds, and there are problems such as roof leaks, pipe blockages, and difficulty in parking.

How can old communities be revitalized? The community Party committee (社区党委) provides high-quality, low-priced, dedicated and professional red property services for old residential areas through a mechanism of residents proposing questions, communities discussing topics, and property answering questions.

There is an idle boiler room in the Wudao Miao Community (五道庙小区), which has been a "dirty and messy corner" that has plagued residents for many years. Ren Guanghai (任光海), the secretary of the community Party committee (社区党委书记), organized the residents' self-government group in the building to negotiate many times, and the property invested in the renovation and construction of a public parking lot. On the basis of solving the problem of difficult parking for residents, the property took out half of the income to give back to the community public account, which was jointly managed and used by the community Party committee (社区党委) and the residents' self-government group in the building in accordance with the principles of democratic consultation and building self-government.

Where is the money in the public account spent? Zhang Guilan (张桂兰), a resident of Building 3, has the right to speak: "Before, the roof leaked, damaging the walls of several families. The residents' self-government group in the building consulted with the community Party committee (社区党委) and used the money from the public account to pay the bulk of the money, and the residents put together a small amount of money, and successfully raised enough money to re-lay the waterproof layer."

"Community governance must be long-term, and it must also achieve self-hematopoiesis." In Ren Guanghai's (任光海) view, market-oriented operation has revitalized idle resources, and also enabled the community to provide residents with better and more sustainable services.

Refinement and digitization improve the effectiveness of community governance. In the Renmin Shangcheng Community (人民商城社区), intelligent access control accurately identifies residents and visitors, solving the problem of personnel management in commercial and residential communities; in the Fuyanshan Road Community (浮烟山路社区), a dynamic database of low-speed electric vehicles quickly screens non-"national standard" and unlicensed vehicles, realizing "policies find people and services go home"; in the Shengfei Manbu Community (圣菲漫步小区), an intelligent inspection system accurately identifies problems such as untimely garbage removal and damage to public facilities... Weifang City (潍坊市) has carried out in-depth construction of smart communities, enriched digital application scenarios, and transformed community governance from "post-event disposal" to "pre-event prevention."

"The level of community governance is related to the city's happiness index." The relevant person in charge of the Weifang Municipal Party Committee Organization Department (潍坊市委组织部) said that it will continue to deepen the leadership of party building, take market-oriented operation, refined services, and digital empowerment as the entry point, and strive to enhance the community's ability to self-hematopoiesis and serve the masses, so that urban governance services are more powerful, warmer, and more effective.

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Editor in Charge for This Section: Geng Lei

Layout Design: Wang Zhepeng (汪哲平)

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Online Literature Has Become a Source of Stories and an Engine of Creativity (Upholding "Two Creations": Focusing on Literature and Art in the New Era)

By: 王玉玊

Network literature is an important support for literary benefit and popularization. The mission of literature is far from over. It may no longer be at the center of the stage, but it grows in a freer posture, integrating into every light and shadow, every interaction, and becoming the ubiquitous narrative foundation of this era.

Network literature is a typical representative of new mass literature under the conditions of the Internet, and it is also known as one of the "new three items" of cultural going overseas, along with online games and online dramas. However, compared with the explosive growth of the latter two in recent years and the social discussions they have triggered, network literature seems a bit calm. We need to face such a reality: since its birth in the 1990s, network literature has gone through 30 years of development and entered a mature period of creation and industry.

Now that it is no longer regarded as a new thing, is network literature no longer important in today's literary ecology? The opposite is true. With its huge author and reader base, mature production mechanism and stable creative ecology, network literature continues to produce massive works and accelerate the iteration of narrative types. People who do not read network literature may not have a real sense of this, but many of the films, micro-dramas, animations, and games we come into contact with every day have network literature behind them. In 2024 alone, there will be approximately 30,000 new adaptation authorizations for network literature, including nearly 300 new film and television adaptation authorizations, an increase of 18% year-on-year, and more than 1,600 new micro-drama adaptation authorizations, an increase of 81% year-on-year. Network literature is not only the most upstream part of the entire IP adaptation industry chain, but also an important source of stories and a creative engine for new mass literature. The constantly emerging characters, setting elements, and story types in network literature have a continuous, broad, and profound impact on the creative production of various literary and artistic categories.

Recognizing the significance of network literature as an upstream industry and a source of stories, the following three aspects are particularly important.

First, from reality to imagination. The younger generation who grew up in animated films, special effects movies, and 3D games have a natural preference for surreal fantasy stories, which is a global phenomenon. However, due to the deep-rooted tradition of realism in Chinese literature and art, fantasy themes have developed relatively slowly in contemporary mainstream literature and art, especially in film and television. Network literature, since its inception, has been a literary form that combines local characteristics and a global perspective. Based on the rapid absorption of world fantasy art elements, it has formed a series of narrative types with Chinese local characteristics, such as fantasy and exotic arts. These types shine on the screen through film and television adaptations. Today, the acceptance and love of Chinese film and television audiences for surreal settings such as time travel is directly related to the subtle and long-term influence of network literature. With the popularization of computer special effects technology, digital animation technology, etc., the cost of audio-visual production of surreal spectacles and grand fantasy worlds has dropped sharply, and such works are bound to become more and more prominent.

Second, from a solidified "novel" to a flowing "story." The vast majority of network literature is genre literature, and its core concern is always the story, not the form. Therefore, some researchers use the term "story writer" to describe the creative subject of network literature. Compared with novel creation that has complex forms and pursues uniqueness, storytelling is a behavior that is closer to human narrative instincts. It has a lower reading threshold, pursues clarity in storytelling, pursues the satisfaction of desires and direct lessons for life, and can therefore be accepted by more readers. Stories also have greater fluidity than novels, and can constantly transform the latest experiences of the times into story materials. New type settings and narrative structures are generated and iterated in network literature creation, and are widely spread in various categories of popular literature and art. The fast-paced, multi-reversal "爽剧 (shuǎng jù - "refreshing drama," a type of drama that provides cathartic entertainment)" model commonly seen in today's micro-dramas mainly comes from network literature experience. It seems simple and crude, but in fact it contains insights into the public's life and emotional psychology, and contains a summary of techniques for quickly advancing the plot and accurately mobilizing the audience's emotions.

Third, from popularization of reading to popularization of creation. Although the threshold for reading literature is higher than watching TV series or short videos, when a person wants to tell a story, "coding" is the simplest and fastest way. Today's era may not be an era in which everyone wants to become a literary reader, but an era in which everyone can become a story writer. Some stories no longer have to exist to be read by others; they have already fulfilled their function in the process of being created. Network literature has become the birthplace of massive stories because of its low trial and error cost and convenient creation and publication. Because of its serialization and follow-up mechanism and reading and writing interaction mechanisms such as book reviews and paragraph reviews, it can grasp the public's reading tastes and emotional trends in a timely and intuitive manner, leaving literary archives for the changes of the times.

"Those children who secretly read online novels, they have grown up," some scholars use this sentence to describe the new forces in literary research who have gone from reading online novels to studying them. It is also possible to use this sentence to describe the young forces in various categories and industries in the current literary and artistic field. With the IP adaptation of network literature, and the generation of people who generally have network literature writing and reading experience entering the literary and artistic creation and production scene, these new stories and new imaginations spread to various art categories, becoming an important source of the "internet sense" and sense of the times in contemporary literature and art.

From the printing civilization to the digital intelligence era, the transformation of media technology is undoubtedly a huge challenge for literature. In this era of transformation, network literature has become a bridge connecting the old and new media environments, a low-cost incubator for new stories, and an important support for literary benefit and popularization. The mission of literature is far from over. It may no longer be at the center of the stage, but it grows in a freer posture, integrating into every light and shadow, every interaction, and becoming the ubiquitous narrative foundation of this era.

(Author's affiliation: Institute of Marxist Literary Theory, Chinese National Academy of Arts (中国艺术研究院))

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New Forms of TV Series, New Tracks for the Industry (Artistic Perspectives)

By: 张 硕

Find the right genre positioning to better leverage the strengths of mid-length narratives—"concise yet profound, suitable for both large and small screens"—allowing audiences to see more diverse landscapes through the window of Chinese dramas.

Recently, the Chinese drama "The Window with a View" (《看得见风景的窗》) has been popular on both online platforms and television stations. The drama integrates intergenerational emotions, returning home to start a business, rural revitalization, and other diverse themes into a unique island culture. Without being protracted or superficial, it stimulates the audience's enthusiasm for watching dramas with its novelty in length and rhythm. As a result of implementing the "21 Articles of Radio and Television" (广电21条), the number of mid-length dramas filed has climbed from 2 in August of last year to 23 in November, a remarkable increase.

It is generally believed that mid-length dramas have an episode length of about 20 minutes, characterized by horizontal screen shooting and continuous narration. In the era of digital media, how should this literary form, which falls between long dramas and micro-dramas in length, leverage its own advantages, and how should it achieve solid quality with a medium volume, activating market increments?

On the one hand, the traditional long drama market is facing the reality of audience attention loss and weak creative transformation; on the other hand, some micro-dramas have problems such as content homogenization, fragmented plots, and exaggerated performances, resulting in a certain degree of "false fire" in the market. Driven by both user demand and policy guidance, the mid-length drama category has emerged. As an experimental field for exploring the boundaries of narrative aesthetics, the expectation for mid-length dramas is not simply "shrunken long dramas" or "lengthened short dramas," but to create a "positional difference" from long dramas and micro-dramas, and to construct a new narrative grammar on a differentiated track.

Dramas are mainly suitable for daily companionship viewing. Micro-dramas with episodes of about 2 minutes are difficult to squeeze out enough time to carefully depict emotions and highlight values, while mid-length dramas reserve space for character shaping and theme exploration with a relatively sufficient length capacity. At the same time, they can integrate the rhythm advantages of micro-dramas into creation, allowing shots and lines to carry more narrative functions and emotional tension, achieving a multiple increase in narrative density. For example, "Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty" (《唐诡奇谭》) refines each episode to about 20 minutes, satisfying the audience's need to "binge-watch a unit in one breath" through "active acceleration." This high-density narrative often makes the audience exclaim at the reversals, while pondering the deep reasons behind the suspenseful cases, thereby completing a brief but profound gaze.

No matter how the media environment changes, good stories that deeply engage with reality and respond to the concerns of the times are always a mass necessity. The unique volume of mid-length dramas is both a limitation and an advantage, and achieving solid quality must start from this point—returning to the content itself, using length to force the "dehydration" of the plot, and using complete narratives to satisfy the audience's observation of emotions and human nature, achieving an organic integration of "narrative-driven" and "value deep cultivation." Most of the 40 mid-length dramas that have been filed have chosen the perspective of small characters, either reflecting social changes through micro-narratives or illuminating traditional culture with vivid characters, and structural breakthroughs have opened up space for content innovation.

From "I Love My Family" (《我爱我家》) in the 1990s to "Home with Kids" (《家有儿女》) in the early 21st century, there have long been TV series with episode lengths of about 20 minutes. In recent years, these types of dramas have re-emerged, but the media ecology and audience aesthetics are different from those of the past. Separately listing mid-length dramas from a management classification perspective, respecting the creative and dissemination rules of different forms of dramas, can effectively avoid "cramming one's feet to fit the shoes" in creation. This is not only an expansion of drama categories but also a reconstruction of the industrial ecology: from filing and creation to broadcasting and evaluation, different forms of dramas have the opportunity to stand on their own suitable stage.

From spontaneous growth to systematic construction, a predictable new track is unfolding. However, at present, mid-length dramas have not yet formed clear characteristics, and the cognition and evaluation of mid-length dramas rely more on the discourse system and logical framework of traditional long dramas and micro-dramas. The understanding of their aesthetic characteristics and artistic rules still needs to be deepened, so that they can break the situation, create, and grow from their own uniqueness. Of course, we do not need to overemphasize the particularity of mid-length dramas. The key is to let the form better serve the content expression, forming a content matrix that is beautiful in its own way and staggered in its usefulness.

With the successive launch of mid-length drama works, the rich potential of this genre will continue to be released. Creators should find the right genre positioning to better leverage the strengths of mid-length narratives—"concise yet profound, suitable for both large and small screens"—allowing audiences to see more diverse landscapes through the window of Chinese dramas.

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The Poetic Charm of Convenience Store Literature (Insight)

By: 程 红

Have you heard of "convenience store literature," such an abrupt combination of words?
These days, "literature corners" have appeared in convenience stores on the streets of Henan (河南). Writer Liu Zhenyun (刘震云) took the lead in writing on the small blackboard in the literature corner, "Everyone walking on the street, everyone has worked hard." This simple sentence attracted a relay from passing customers. Soon, the blackboard was filled with: "Mom's dishes always expire, it's because we come back late," "This is not a place to write poetry, it's just that life happens to pass by"...
The blackboard is too small to accommodate the daily necessities of the convenience store, but in this small space, literature "comes alive." Reading these sentences, you seem to see vivid individuals, college students, delivery drivers, middle-aged couples, retired elderly people, they are busy for their livelihoods, and also in the gap between buying water and making change, in the moment of stopping in front of the window, they leave sentences of emotional understanding of life.
Can convenience store literature be considered "literature"? Perhaps it is difficult to give a definite answer. However, theorists have long summarized: "Literature is the defamiliarization of everyday language." The words written on the blackboard all come from everyday language, and are all simple depictions of life, but when it appears in a convenience store, it has a different kind of poetry. An ordinary sentence seems to transform into a line of poetry, gaining "literariness." It illuminates our accustomed world with a fresh perspective, inspiring us to think about where the boundary between "life" and "poetry" lies. In a slow-paced era, long novels can calmly unfold complex characters' destinies; and in today's information explosion, convenience store literature captures fleeting emotional flashes with its immediacy and interactivity. These few words are like haiku in the digital age, piecing together "the bottom draft of life" in fragmented writing.
More importantly, we establish a connection between "people" and "people" in these traces of writing that are quite "alive." Some people say that in contemporary society, "nearby" is disappearing, and the connection with the people, things, and objects around us is weakening. And in the convenience store on the corner, the textual interaction with strangers is precisely a kind of emotional comfort and a small community building.
There is a term in literary theory called "intertextuality," which means that no single text is self-sufficient, and its meaning is generated in interaction with other texts. Convenience store literature is moving "intertextuality" to a material carrier - the blackboard, not you write and I read, but you and I write together. Each sentence is a dialogue with other sentences, and every passerby is a potential interlocutor, completing the relay of the text in a shared space. When Liu Zhenyun (刘震云) wrote the first sentence, when customers spontaneously continued, and took pictures of these words to spread, a text network spanning time and space was formed. Like the cliff carvings of the network age, it is a layered convergence, and also an exchange of sounds.
Even if one day the blackboard disappears and the words are wiped clean, at least in the traces of writing and reading, we have connected with each other and warmed each other.

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Using Theater as a Medium, Extending a Cultural Invitation

By: 李红艳

Recently, the 2026 New Year's Henan Province Three Major Opera Types Excellent Repertoire Beijing Exhibition Week and the "Follow Opera to Tour Henan" cultural tourism promotion event were held in Beijing (北京). Three opera types, six major plays, taking into account traditional plays, modern plays, and newly compiled historical plays, with classic repertoires, award-winning masterpieces, and newly created works, represent a concentrated presentation of Henan's opera art strength.

In this exhibition, Henan's traditional strong opera types, Yuju Opera, Quju Opera, and Yuetiao Opera, each presented a classic repertoire. The Yuju Opera "Mu Guiying Breaks the Tianmen Formation" (穆桂英大破天门阵) goes without saying, with classic arias known to every household. Quju Opera artist Wang Xiuling's (王秀玲) representative work, "Wind and Snow Match" (风雪配), is lively and beautiful, emphasizing both singing and acting, full of comedic color and life interest, reflecting the characteristics of Quju Opera's distinct rhythm, singing and dancing, and excelling in performing life emotions. "Receiving Jiang Wei" (收姜维) is a singing play created by Yuetiao Opera performing artist Shen Fengmei (申凤梅) with all her efforts. The Shen-style singing is vigorous and bold, steady and dignified, and full of charm. This time, Shen Xiaomei (申小梅), a successor of the Shen school, and her two disciples took turns performing the role of Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮), with profound inheritance meaning. Classic repertoires carry rich and deep regional emotions, and can stir up ripples in the hearts of the audience. Many Henan (河南) natives said that seeing Henan opera is like coming home.

The three newly created plays, "Fu Hao" (妇好), "Luzhen" (鲁镇), and "Zhao Yiman" (赵一曼), represent the multiple paths of Henan's drama creation in recent years. "Fu Hao" by the Youth Troupe of Henan Yuju Opera Theatre shows the legendary life of Fu Hao (妇好), the first female general in Chinese history. The work is both literary and martial, the team has strong overall strength, the inheritance and innovation of singing are well-proportioned, and the audience recognition is high. It has become a work of mouth-to-mouth praise among newly created repertoires. The modern Quju Opera "Luzhen" concentrates many characters from Lu Xun's (鲁迅) writings in "Luzhen," a space full of symbolic meaning, and creates a brand-new artistic world around the fate of Xianglin Sao (祥林嫂), who suffered from feudal ethics. The stage expression focuses on inward digging, and at the same time uses elegant, deep, and solemn major tunes to express the complex emotions of the characters. The Yuetiao Opera "Zhao Yiman" not only pays attention to expressing the iron will of the character, but also shows her tenderness as a mother, making the character image more three-dimensional.

This exhibition also set off a "youth whirlwind," attracting many opera fans. In addition to middle-aged famous artists such as Wu Suzhen (吴素真), Yang Shuaixue (杨帅学), and Liu Yanli (刘艳丽), the leading actors in many plays are all in their 90s. The leading actors in "Luzhen" and "Zhao Yiman" are even under 30 years old, indicating that young actors have grown into a new force relying on their strength to break into the market. Youth is also reflected in the creative angle, narrative techniques, and presentation methods that try to get closer to young audiences. The Yuju Opera "Mu Guiying Breaks the Tianmen Formation" strengthens the psychological process of mutual admiration between Mu Guiying (穆桂英) and Yang Zongbao (杨宗保) in the plot, and skillfully grafts this emotion with martial arts, giving the traditional opera a youthful atmosphere and modern color. Many viewers at the scene said that "youthful Yuju Opera" is very eye-catching.

"Using opera as a medium to attract tourists to Henan," this event, in addition to high-level art exhibitions, also showcased Henan's intangible cultural heritage and its characteristic tourism products, which is an innovative practice of cultural tourism integration. It allows the audience to feel the profound heritage of Central Plains culture at close range while enjoying the play, and then generate curiosity and yearning for the land of Henan.

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Artistic Reproduction of the "Doll's Long March" Feat (New Work Quick Review)

By: 胡 祥

In the winter of 1946, facing the approaching war, 136 children from the Yan'an Second Nursery (延安第二保育院), escorted by soldiers of the 359th Brigade (三五九旅) and nursery staff, embarked on a 3,000-li (里) (approximately 1500 km) relocation journey. Lasting 2 years and 10 months, crossing the Yellow River (黄河), traversing mountains and forests, and dodging enemy planes, they safely arrived in Beiping (北平), with no casualties. The micro-drama "Cradle on Horseback" ("马背摇篮") focuses on the story of the Yan'an Nursery (延安保育院) escorting the descendants of revolutionaries, vividly recreating the "Long March of Children," bringing this long-sealed history vividly to the audience.

Adapting this journey's thrilling story into a micro-drama with 15-minute episodes, totaling 24 episodes, is no small feat. "Cradle on Horseback" simplifies and tells the story cleanly and efficiently. At the beginning of the work, facing the difficulty of lacking horses, the nursery director, Wei Geming (卫戈明), takes his newly recognized "son," Kangkang (抗抗), to the leader to "beg" for resources. The child's identity as an orphan of a martyr arouses the leader's compassion, and he finally approves the allocation of valuable supplies such as horses and medicines. The whole process is concise and lively, achieving much with little effort, 四两拨千斤 (sì liǎng bō qiān jīn - "four ounces deflect a thousand pounds," to use minimal force to achieve maximum results). Not long after the departure, Wei Geming (卫戈明) and Wen Renqiu (文纫秋), the head of the security and education section, have a dispute. One advocates speeding up the march from a safety perspective, while the other insists on eating and toileting on time for the children's health. As a result, they encounter an enemy plane attack, creating a dangerous situation. From the dispute to the attack to diverting the enemy plane, everything is clearly explained in a short episode.

Narrative lightness is a characteristic of micro-dramas, but if the story of the "Long March of Children" is simply reenacted, it will become like a monotonous account, losing the due weight of revolutionary historical themes. To this end, "Cradle on Horseback" strives to grasp the spiritual core of "Cradle on Horseback," highlighting the dedication and revolutionary spirit of the characters. Among them, the most touching is the deep parental love of the nursery's "parents." Wei Geming (卫戈明) gives up his position as a staff officer of the Military Commission to become the "old nanny" of this team. Wen Renqiu (文纫秋) makes her own daughter call her "Aunt Wen" ("文阿姨"), just to prevent the other children from missing their mothers, but when her daughter falls into the water and is swept away by the rapids, she cannot rescue her because she is carrying the precious files of all the children. Shi Dashan (石大山), the nursery's "divine chef," pawns his watch to buy pork in order to prevent the children from "losing weight," and almost loses his life... It is this spirit of "adults are here, children are here; adults are not here, children must also be here" that allows the spark of revolution to continue and deeply touches today's audience in front of the screen.

"Cradle on Horseback" does not stop at the family-like warmth within the nursery. When evacuating Yan'an (延安), local skilled craftsmen rushed to make 68 sturdy and stable pack beds in 2 days, and women sewed warm and thick quilts overnight. This is a strong bond between the army and the people, 军民鱼水情 (jūnmín yúshuǐqíng - "army and people fish and water affection," the close relationship between the army and the people). And when the children embark on their journey, they are always protected by the soldiers and civilians along the way. At the Fen River (汾河) ferry, the children sing "Nanniwan" ("南泥湾") for the soldiers going to battle, and the soldiers use their lives to buy valuable time for the children to cross the ferry. At Hukou Waterfall (壶口瀑布), a little girl, He Yingzi (贺缨子), sings "Defend the Yellow River" ("保卫黄河"), which her martyr father taught her, and everyone joins in. The childish voices intertwine with the surging waves, powerful and shocking. At this point, the scope of "Cradle on Horseback" expands, presenting a "Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" of the revolutionary era from a flowing perspective, praising the heroic spirit of righteousness. The audience's comments of "tearful and exciting" filled the screen.

"Cradle on Horseback" still has shortcomings in the creation of war scenes and a sense of the era, and the conflicts between characters sometimes seem stiff, but as a brave attempt, it inspires us: Micro-dramas should dare to break the path dependence and actively advance towards more serious, grander, and more profound themes on the road to high-quality development, and achieve a harmonious integration of ideology and artistry on the basis of respecting artistic laws.

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Understanding the Past, Present, and Future of Chinese Industry

By: 范宗钗

The large-scale industrial culture program "Chronicles of Chinese Craftsmen" has garnered attention with its profound theme and vivid expression, with its Weibo topic exceeding 530 million views, becoming an innovative work that "revives" traditional culture and makes industrial culture "trendy."

Industrial themes are difficult to execute well, often presenting standards and parameters in a stiff and cold manner, or discussing concepts and thinking in a profound and difficult-to-understand way. "Chronicles of Chinese Craftsmen," jointly launched by China Media Group (中央广播电视总台) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部), adopts a dual-line narrative of "historical tracing + modern display." One line starts from "The Artificers' Record" ("Kao Gong Ji" 考工记), China's first known systematic record of handicraft skills, tracing back the wisdom of craftsmen in ancient books. The other line focuses on contemporary industrial achievements, from the full-category presentation of the robotics industry to breakthroughs in new material technologies, from the iterative upgrading of the textile industry to the technological innovation of aerospace engineering, showcasing China's strength as a world manufacturing powerhouse. The two lines are intertwined, connecting science and technology from ancient times to the present, allowing people to clearly see the imprint of Chinese industry coming from history and being inherited in one continuous line.

Good cultural programs should not only disseminate knowledge but also convey spiritual strength. The most touching aspect of the program lies in its profound interpretation of the "craftsman spirit." Ouyang Xiu's (欧阳修) "Oil Vendor" ("Mai You Weng" 卖油翁) reveals the essence of the craftsman spirit in the phrase "only through practice" – striving for perfection and extreme focus. The craftsman spirit is concretized and contextualized in the program: the strict standard awareness in "The Artificers' Record" is transformed into the confidence of China leading international industry standards today; the division of labor and collaboration in traditional handicrafts has developed into the full industrial chain advantages of contemporary manufacturing. This spirit inheritance spanning thousands of years is transformed into a cultural code flowing in the blood, becoming a key force supporting "Made in China" to move towards "Created in China," providing a constant source of spiritual nourishment for the take-off of China's modern industry.

In terms of visual presentation, the program uses augmented reality (AR) technology to restore ancient techniques and presents theatrical scenes through stage performances. Thirty dancers dressed in ancient costumes perform the iconic movements of ancient crafts, vividly recreating the sleeping panorama of various trades on the stage. In addition, humanoid robots play the Zeng Hou Yi chime bells (曾侯乙编钟), academicians and experts interpret scientific principles, celebrity artists experience prop models, and big data visualization clearly shows the development curve of modern industry... This "art + technology + humanities" expression makes industry watchable, tangible, and empathetic. After the program aired, young viewers left messages on social media: "It turns out that Chinese industry is so awesome!" "I was shocked by the wisdom of the ancients!" The program popularizes industrial knowledge and disseminates industrial culture in a way that is popular with the public, especially young people, allowing more people to understand the development achievements of Chinese industry and inspiring them to devote themselves to manufacturing and contribute to the construction of a strong industrial nation.

"Chronicles of Chinese Craftsmen" is a review of history, a tribute to the present, and even more so, an expectation for the future, allowing the audience to see the synchronous resonance of tradition and modernity, and to see the craftsman spirit spanning thousands of years and continuing 生生不息 (shēng shēng bù xī - "ceaseless growth and reproduction," to multiply and perpetuate; never-ending).

(The author is the Vice Chairman of the China Television Artists Association (中国电视艺术家协会) and a first-level director)

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This edition's editor: Hu Yanyan

This edition's email: wenyipl@peopledaily.cn
Layout design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

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